In a significant political conference, North Korea has initiated discussions on improving its struggling economy and reevaluating defense strategies amidst escalating tensions with its rivals. The conference, attended by leader Kim Jong Un, was held by the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee, as reported by state media on Saturday.
The United States’ recent deployment of a nuclear-powered submarine to South Korea, along with the North’s increased testing of nuclear-capable missiles, has set the stage for a demonstration of power between the allies and North Korea. The developments have prompted the allies to showcase their joint strength against North Korea’s provocative actions.
During the first day of the conference on Friday, party officials reviewed the country’s economic campaigns for the first half of 2023, along with discussing foreign policy and defense strategies to adapt to the evolving international situation. However, the specific details of the discussions and any comments made by Kim were not disclosed. The conference is expected to continue for at least another day.
Meanwhile, the USS Michigan arrived in the South Korean port of Busan on Friday. This arrival followed North Korea’s firing of two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern seas in response to joint live-fire drills conducted by the US and South Korea near the inter-Korean border earlier in the week.
With the USS Michigan’s deployment, a series of exercises focused on enhancing special operation and joint combat capabilities between the US and South Korean navies are planned. These exercises aim to better prepare the allies to counter the growing threats posed by North Korea. However, Pyongyang has condemned these joint exercises, branding them as preparation for invasion. In response, North Korea has escalated its own weapons demonstrations, test-firing around 100 missiles since the start of 2022. These tests have included a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland, as well as various shorter-range weapons intended to target South Korea and Japan.
Experts believe that Kim’s aggressive pursuit of weapons has placed further strain on North Korea’s already isolated economy. The country’s economy has suffered from decades of mismanagement, crippling sanctions imposed by the US due to its nuclear weapons program, and the impact of pandemic-related border closures on trade with China, its main ally and economic lifeline.
The missile firings carried out by North Korea on Thursday marked the country’s first rocket activity since May 31, when a long-range rocket, carrying North Korea’s first spy satellite, crashed off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. South Korea’s Defense Ministry announced on Friday that part of the crashed North Korean rocket has been salvaged by military search crews. The US and South Korean militaries will analyze the debris, which appears to be a white, metal cylinder believed to be the rocket’s fuel tank.
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