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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the township of Samjiyon County on Dec. 2. (Yonhap News)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the township of Samjiyon County (the second phase of construction) on Dec. 2, North Korea’s state-run newspaper the Rodong Sinmun reported on the first three pages of its Dec. 3 edition.

This visit to Samjiyon County came a month and a half after a Rodong Sinmun article on Oct. 16 about Kim visiting Samjiyon County and Mt. Baektu, where he reportedly reviewed the year’s events and planned a “great operation.” The third phase of construction at Samjiyon County is supposed to be completed on Oct. 10, 2020, which will be the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).

The Rodong Sinmun only said that Kim “waved warmly in response to the builders and the crowds” and didn’t report any of his comments on the scene or his assessment of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Furthermore, none of Kim’s remarks were quoted in a Rodong Sinmun report on Nov. 29 about his attendance at the test launch of a large multiple rocket launcher.

That contrasts with the extensive coverage given to Kim’s remarks during a visit to Samjiyon County construction sites back in October. “No matter what persistent efforts the enemy may make, we can live well with our own efforts and pave the avenue to development and prosperity our own way,” Kim was quoted as saying, adding that this was his “review of the year for 2019.” The state-run paper appears to have deliberately avoided quoting Kim in light of the delicacy and gravity of the moment, as his end-of-the-year deadline approaches.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Choe Ryong-hae, Pyongyang’s second most powerful official, said that “North Korea’s infinite potential for independent development has become evident to all, and the vitality of the party’s line of self-reliance had been definitively realized,” while praising Kim as “the crystallization of the people’s love.” Choe is both the first vice chair of North Korea’s State Affairs Commission and the president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly. Choe’s remarks are understood to be political rhetoric aimed at shoring up internal support given the inevitability of focusing economic construction on the mobilization of domestic resources because of intense sanctions by the US and the UN and the deadlock in the North’s negotiations with the US.

In a related story, North Korea released a statement by Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae-song on Tuesday afternoon. “What is left to be done now is the [US’] option and it is entirely up to the US what Christmas gift it will select to get,” Ri said in the statement, which was released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

“[North Korea] feels no need to hide what it will do from now on and therefore, reminds the US once again that the year-end time limit comes nearer,” the statement also said.

The statement threatened that, unless the US takes some meaningful action in response to what North Korea has done, the North may take steps to increase pressure around Christmas.

On July 4, 2017, Kim Jong-un described the test launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as a “present” for the American Independence Day festivities. That said, many experts believe that this latest statement shouldn’t be seen as threatening another ICBM launch.

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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