Kim calls for army to maintain ‘high alert posture’

Seoul, Jun 12 (EFE).- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called on the army to maintain a “high alert posture” to protect national interests in the face of the “recent fast-changing situation” on the peninsula, state media reported Saturday.

Kim made his appeal at a meeting of the military commission held Friday and in which “important tasks for further enhancing the fighting efficiency” of its armed forces, said the KCNA news agency, without offering further details.

The meeting also discussed organizational issues, including the dismissal and appointment of officers, KCNA said.

The holding of the military meeting comes before news of a plenary session of the Central Committee of the North Korean Workers’ Party that said it would hold in early June to adopt additional state measures to resolve urgent pending issues in economic and social matters.

The plenary session has attracted a lot of attention, as North Korea is expected to give clues about its strategy towards the United States and South Korea, following the recent review of US policy towards the North Korean regime with the arrival of Joe Biden to the presidency.

Washington’s new strategy for Pyongyang discards the all or nothing approach of Donald Trump and the strategic patience of Barack Obama, betting on a middle path that pursues diplomatic dialog in phases and that seeks to rekindle the denuclearization talks that have been stagnant since 2019.

Pyongyang, more isolated than usual due to his efforts to prevent Covid-19 from entering his territory, has not responded, at least publicly, to the requests of Washington since February to resume negotiations. EFE

asb-mra/tw