North's Kim returns after 40-day absence for military meeting

North Korea's ruling Workers' Party convened a meeting of its Central Military Commission to "perfect" its readiness for war, Pyongyang's state media reported Tuesday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presides over a meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Military Commission in footage released by the Korean Central Television (KCTV) on Tuesday. Visible behind Kim is the flag for a "Missile Management Agency," with a logo featuring a stylized version of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile. [YONHAP]

North Korea's ruling Workers' Party convened a meeting of its Central Military Commission to "perfect" its readiness for war, Pyongyang's state media reported Tuesday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over the meeting, according to the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Photos released by the KCNA on Tuesday showed one of the flags behind Kim displaying the words “Missile Management Agency” along the edge of a circular logo that included a stylized depiction of the North's longest-range intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-17, being fired.

The North’s state media have not previously reported on the existence of an agency by that name.

Participants in the meeting “discussed in depth the major military and political tasks for 2023 and the long-term issues concerning the orientation for army building,” the KCNA said in an English-language statement.

It reported that participants focused on “the issue of constantly expanding and intensifying the operation and combat drills of the Korean People's Army to cope with the prevailing situation and more strictly perfecting the preparedness for war.”

The meeting comes amid satellite images that show the North preparing for a military parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of its military Wednesday.

Analysts have told the Korea JoongAng Daily it is likely that the North will showcase at least some of the weapons it tested last year, and also some weapons to project the threatening potential of its illicit weapons development programs to South Korea and the United States.

Kim’s attendance at the meeting also marks his return to the public eye after a 40-day hiatus.

The last time state media reported the North Korean leader’s presence at a gathering was on Jan. 1, where Kim was quoted as calling for developing new intercontinental ballistic missiles and a larger nuclear arsenal to counter U.S.-led threats.

In that meeting, reported by the KCNA as having taken place on Dec. 31, Kim highlighted the need to secure “overwhelming military power” to defend its sovereignty and security.

Seoul’s unification ministry said Tuesday’s military meeting appears to be aimed at strengthening internal solidarity within the North Korean military.

The North's last missile test was of a short-range ballistic missile in the early hours of Jan. 1.

The North’s foreign ministry recently said Pyongyang will “take the toughest reaction” to any military action by the United States and warned its future responses would follow the principle of “nuke for nuke and an all-out confrontation for an all-out confrontation,” following Washington’s repeated pledges to provide credible “extended deterrence” to protect South Korea against the North’s military threats.

The North launched 70 ballistic missiles last year — a record for single year — amid warnings from South Korean and U.S. officials that the regime is ready to conduct a nuclear test at any time.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]