hankyoreh

By Kang Tae-ho, senior staff writer

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made an “important decision” while presiding over an expanded meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Military Commission (CMC), according to North Korean media.

The nature of the decision was not stated, but experts believe he may have set a course for actively mobilizing the military to build the North Korean economy under party leadership.

The (North) Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Kim’s decision on Aug. 26, saying only that it would “serve as a guideline for firmly guaranteeing the nation’s autonomy and safety and taking another step closer to the great goal of the party’s Songun (military first) revolution.”

It also reported on discussions and decisions at the meeting on “practical concerns in stepping up the combat strength of our revolutionary firepower and strengthening the country’s defense capabilities in all directions, based on the demands of the current political situation and the current state of the people’s military.” Organizational issues were also reportedly discussed.

This is the second time Kim has been reported as presiding over an expanded CMC meeting, after another one in February. At that time, the KCNA reported that “issues concerning a great shift from strengthening military capabilities” were discussed at the Feb. 3 meeting, adding that Kim had made an “important decision for the sake of preserving autonomy.” The report did not give the nature of the decision, but many observers believed it would involve a nuclear test or other military response, coming at a time when the National Defense Commission had warned of a third test.

This time, the decision came at a CMC meeting just after Kim had released a statement for Songun Day on Aug. 25, and was described as a “guideline for taking another step closer to the great goal of the party’s Songun revolution.”

The earlier statement had emphasized the “party leadership” aspect, with Kim saying the military should go in the direction given by the Workers’ Party.

“There is but one general direction for the people’s armed forces, one that is stated by our party for others to travel with their guns pointed forward,” the statement read.

The question now is what “direction” the WPK has decided on. Last February, it was to conduct a nuclear test as a way of “beefing up revolutionary firepower,” but the focus for Songun Day was on building the economy. Choi Ryong-hae, head of the Korean People’s Army politburo, declared at a banquet with Kim in attendance that the “greatest flourishing of military construction” was taking place under Kim’s “vigorous Songun leadership,” adding that plans were under way to create a “people’s paradise” through the creation of “Masikryong speed” on all fronts in building a “strong and prosperous nation.”

On Aug. 24, Choi said at a central report meeting for Songun Day that peace was of paramount importance in achieving the goals of building economic strength and promoting people’s livelihoods.

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