North Korea Claims Over One Million Young People Joined Army

AFP

North Korea: North Korea announced on Wednesday that over one million young individuals signed up or rejoined the military this week, following accusations against South Korea of sending drones into its airspace.

The claim comes after Pyongyang detonated roads and railways connecting the two Koreas, asserting that any further drone incursions would be regarded as a declaration of war. In a move to escalate military readiness, North Korea has ordered soldiers stationed along the border to prepare to fire.

While Seoul initially denied the allegations of drone activity, North Korea insists it possesses “clear evidence” of official involvement, alleging that the drones were part of a campaign to disseminate anti-regime propaganda leaflets across the North’s capital.

According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency, “millions of young people have turned out in the nationwide struggle to wipe out the ROK scum who committed a serious provocation of violating the sovereignty of the DPRK through drone infiltration.”

The agency reported that more than 1.4 million youth league officials, along with students across the nation, volunteered to join or rejoin the Korean People’s Army on October 14 and 15.

North Korea already enforces lengthy mandatory military service for all men and has a history of proclaiming waves of enlistments during periods of heightened tensions with South Korea or the United States.

While the exact source of the alleged drone flights remains unclear, South Korean activists have long engaged in launching balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border, a practice that provokes strong reactions from the North, which retaliates with its own balloon campaigns.

In response to the ongoing tensions, South Korean authorities in border regions are taking steps to prevent activists from launching these balloon campaigns. The provincial government of Gyeonggi has designated areas like Yeoncheon, Gimpo, and Paju as “special danger zones,” warning that those attempting to send leaflets to the North could face criminal investigations. A government spokesperson emphasized that distributing anti-North leaflets poses a significant risk of military conflict.

Adding to the strain, South Korean activists—many of whom are defectors from the North—have been sending materials, including USB drives with K-pop songs and K-drama content, which North Korea views as a threat to its regime.

In retaliation for the South’s balloon campaigns, Seoul has suspended a military agreement aimed at reducing tensions and resumed loudspeaker broadcasts along the border, featuring popular South Korean music and international news.

Since late July, North Korea has retaliated with eerie sounds broadcast along the border, including sounds mimicking wild animal cries. The Gyeonggi provincial government has acknowledged that residents in border areas are increasingly anxious, with many reporting sleep disturbances due to the ongoing influx of trash balloons and unsettling broadcasts from the North.

In a legislative context, South Korea’s parliament had previously passed a law in 2020 banning the dissemination of anti-Kim leaflets across the border during then-President Moon Jae-in’s engagement efforts with the North. However, this law was struck down by the Constitutional Court last year, which ruled it as an undue restriction on free speech.