North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made it clear once again that he has no intention of giving up his nuclear weapons, instead calling for an aggressive expansion of the country’s military capabilities, including its nuclear forces.
During a visit to Kim Il-sung Political University, North Korea’s premier training institution for high-ranking military-political officers, Kim stated, “We must achieve the modernization of all military-technical equipment, including nuclear forces.”
On February 25, North Korea’s state-run Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim visited the university on the previous day, where he emphasized the importance of ideological loyalty and military strength within the armed forces.
In his speech, Kim stressed that North Korea’s military must become the strongest in the world and that achieving this goal requires maintaining and strengthening its political, ideological, and moral superiority as the army of the Party and the people.
Kim asserted that “ideological indoctrination must take precedence over military technology in army-building efforts,” defining the three key elements of military power as soldiers, weapons, and ideology.
North Korea’s Military Strategy: Prioritizing Ideological Warfare Before Technical Upgrades
Kim outlined his vision for the military, emphasizing that North Korea must first solidify its political and ideological superiority, followed by the continuous reinforcement of combat forces, and finally, the advancement of military-technical equipment, including nuclear forces.
He also criticized some political officers within the military for failing to meet the Party’s expectations, urging faculty and students at Kim Il-sung Political University to fulfill their roles in correcting these issues.
Founded in November 1945 and located in Pyongyang’s Hyongjesan District, Kim Il-sung Political University differs from Kim Il-sung Military University, which trains general field commanders. Instead, it specializes in educating political officers responsible for ideological education and Party operations within the military ranks.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
