North Korean leader skips New Year message for four straight years
2024-05-29 07:39:19
 |
| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the 6th Enlarged Plenary Meeting of 8th Workers' Party of (North) Korea Central Committee in this photo carried by its official Korean Central News Agency on Sunday. Yonhap |
By Nam Hyun-woo
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not deliver a New Year's message for the fourth consecutive year, replacing it with a speech at the Workers' Party of North Korea (WPK).
On Sunday, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) carried the full text of Kim's speech at the "Ceremony of Donating 600mm Super-large Multiple Launch Rocket System," which was held on Saturday.
In the speech, Kim hailed the technological achievements of the missile, and added, "It has South Korea as a whole within the range of strike and is capable of carrying a tactical nuclear warhead."
The KCNA reported Kim's attendance at the 6th Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the 8th WPK Central Committee, where he elaborated on state policies, work plans, budgets and the regime's drive to develop nuclear weapons.
NK leader calls for 'exponential' increase in nuclear arsenal 2023-01-01 08:34 | North Korea
However, the KCNA and other North Korean state media did not mention a New Year's message by the leader.
Until 2019, the North televised Kim reading his New Year message, but has not done so since 2020. In 2020 and 2022, the North replaced Kim's New Year message with reports on WPK Central Committees. In 2021, the Rodong Sinmun, (the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea) carried Kim's hand-written New Year's card.
Until now, a New Year's message by a North Korean leader has been the key tool for gauging how the reclusive regime will address its domestic policies and overseas strategy, especially on South Korea.
"During the past year, Kim has made many speeches in person, delivering key messages," said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies. "Thus, it appears that the North is replacing Kim's New Year message with a report on the WPK plenary meeting because of efficiency."
Yang said that a more significant message by Kim can be expected in February, when the North is anticipated to stage a large-scale military parade to celebrate the 60th anniversary of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung's creation of the slogan, "One match for a hundred," on Feb. 6 or Military Foundation Day on Feb. 8.
（作者：汽车配件）
