Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong Un met with the head of the KPA Grand Combined Forces and other key commanders at the headquarters of the Labor Commission on New Year's Eve, and spoke highly of their exploits in the struggle in 2023. Kim Jong Un stressed the need to use all super-powerful means and potential to overwhelm all forms of provocation by the enemy. At the same time, South Korea admitted that the military is actively conducting "decapitation exercises" in response to a possible assassination of Kim Jong-un.
Kim Jong Un pointed out that the KPA commanders shoulder heavy responsibilities and that the enemy's blind provocations could trigger armed clashes at any time is becoming a fait accompli.
He said: "The more our revolution develops, the more rampant the demagoguery of US imperialism and the followers of Korea becomes. Our armed forces should carry a resolute sense of the enemy and a firm sense of being the main enemy, and mercilessly overwhelm all forms of the enemy's provocations. If the enemy chooses to face off against **, we will not hesitate to use all super powerful means and potentials to strike hard and completely annihilate the enemy army. ”
KCNA reported that Kim Jong-un attended the dinner in his capacity as general secretary of the Workers' Party on the same day and delivered a speech encouraging members of the leading body. Kim Jong-un also personally attended the welcome celebration performance. His wife, Lee Seol-ju, and his daughter, Kim Ju-ae, as well as Prime Minister Kim Deok-houn, Secretary of the Workers' Party Cho Yong-won, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly Choe Ryong-hae**.
South Korea's Yoon Suk-yeol said in his New Year's speech at Yongsan Mansion on New Year's Day that the construction of an upgraded South Korea-US extended deterrence mechanism will be completed in the first half of this year to block the nuclear and missile threat from the source.
According to NK News, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-hyun told reporters in an interview with MBN TV that getting rid of the top leader is a "choice". This is a rare admission by Seoul** of an action that has not yet been implemented. The action has not been publicly discussed for at least six years.
Asked by reporters whether the assassination drills were still under consideration and whether the U.S. could deploy nuclear ** in the region, Shin said "both are considered options," adding that the U.S. military even participated in the assassination drills.
"The purpose of this training is air mobility, raids on key facilities and indoor sweeps," he added. ”
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea, this secret exercise with the US Army special forces took place in early December.