North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly ordered full-scale war preparations against South Korea, including potential nuclear weapon deployment, according to sources within North Korea. The directive follows weeks of intensifying tension on the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea openly branding South Korea as an "enemy state" and dismantling the last remaining physical connections between the two nations.
The order was delivered on October 23 to officials in North Pyongan Province, emphasizing the need for North Korea to be prepared to use "all means of attack" should conflict arise. According to a North Korean source, the directive seemed aimed at bolstering internal unity and raising the national defense posture to the level of an offensive military strategy. Under Kim's guidance, North Korea's military and munitions industries are reportedly accelerating efforts to expand the nation's nuclear arsenal and enhance its readiness for an "all-out confrontation" with South Korea.
This aggressive stance from North Korea has alarmed neighboring nations and heightened global concerns. The North's official Institute for Studies of Enemy States, a newly established research organization, released a damning report on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing his administration of recklessly endangering the peninsula by fostering close military ties with the United States and Japan. North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) cited the report's assertion that "Yoon's disastrous policy has exposed the Republic of Korea to the danger of a nuclear war."
According to the KCNA, the Institute criticized Yoon's hawkish approach toward North Korea, including his 2022 statement urging South Korea to maintain "overwhelmingly superior war preparations" to achieve peace, and his warning that a North Korean nuclear strike would mean "the end of the [Kim Jong Un] regime." The Institute's report attributed South Korea's current stance as a primary driver for Pyongyang's accelerated nuclear armament.
Further, the report criticized President Yoon's decision to suspend a 2018 military agreement between the Koreas aimed at de-escalating border tensions. This suspension, prompted by North Korea's recent launch of a reconnaissance satellite, has led both nations to increase surveillance activity along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Pyongyang responded by declaring itself "no longer bound by" the agreement, which had previously established no-fly zones and halted live-fire drills near the border.
Kim's order for war preparations comes as North Korea amplifies its rhetoric against South Korea's alliances, particularly its relationship with the United States. In April, U.S. President Joe Biden and President Yoon agreed to form a Nuclear Consultative Group to enhance nuclear planning cooperation in response to North Korea's growing threats. This agreement was singled out by the Institute's report as evidence of South Korea acting as a "bridgehead" for U.S. forces-a claim North Korea has historically used to justify its militarized stance.
The report from the Institute of Enemy State Studies, established specifically to analyze threats from South Korea, also criticizes the growing ties between South Korea and Japan, another U.S. ally. In recent months, South Korea has increased military drills with the U.S. and Japan, a shift from its previous focus on independent defense capabilities. North Korea claims these activities push the peninsula closer to conflict, citing its own military buildup as a necessary defensive measure.
South Korea has responded to these developments with measured caution. South Korean Unification Ministry spokesperson Koo Byoungsam commented on the Institute's aggressive report, noting that the organization appears to be a rebranded version of North Korea's National Reunification Institute. The former entity was tasked with disseminating pro-reunification narratives and analyzing South Korean policy from the North's perspective.
The atmosphere within North Korea reportedly remains tense. In North Pyongan Province, where Kim's order was initially disseminated, there are reports of public fear and rising apprehension over a potential conflict. Citizens have expressed concerns that the government may indeed be preparing for war, with rumors spreading about an impending attack on South Korea.
The same order from Kim allegedly included warnings against internal dissent and a call for unwavering support for the Korean People's Army. North Korean officials have been directed to prevent any behavior that might create divisions within the state or foster doubts about the regime's military capabilities. A source in North Korea stated, "The aim is to stop speculations and rumors... and tighten control over internal unity."
Political analysts suggest that Kim's escalation may be partly aimed at rallying his population in the face of internal economic hardships and international isolation. North Korea's economy has been strained by extensive sanctions, and its alignment with Russia amid the war in Ukraine has further estranged it from the international community. Last month, Kim formalized this isolation by amending North Korea's constitution to name South Korea as its "primary enemy."
