Page 31 - 2020 Defence White Paper

strategic cooperative relations. After President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pyongyang
for the first time in June 2019 since his inauguration, the two countries agreed to Chapter 1
strengthen their exchanges and cooperation in areas such as economy and personnel.
Meanwhile, North Korea continues to make efforts to maintain its traditional
friendship with China despite restrictions on normal trade and human exchanges
following the blockade of the border between North Korea and China in late January
due to COVID-19 in 2020.
Since the launching of the North Korea-Russia Economic Cooperation Committee
in 2014, North Korea has maintained an amicable relationship with Russia after the
declaration of the "Year of Friendship" and the adoption of a joint resolution in March
2015. Chairman Kim made his visit to Vladivostok to hold a summit with President
Putin for the first time on April 25, 2019. In November, Choi Sun-hee, First Vice
Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea, visited Russia and held the first strategic
dialogue with Igor Morgulov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister. In a situation where
personnel exchanges were restricted due to COVID-19 in 2020, Chairman Kim sent
a congratulatory message to President Putin on the 75th anniversary of Russia’s
victory, expressing his willingness on developing friendly relations between North
Korea and Russia.

2. North Korea’s Military Strategy and Military Command Structure

Military Strategy In 1962, in accordance with the principle of "self-defense in
national defense" embedded in the Juche ideology, North
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Korea adopted four military guidelines and has since continued to bolster its military
strength. Chairman Kim, upon succeeding his father as the leader of North Korea,
proposed the "four core strategic lines" as a new strategic line to build the military of
the people into a powerful military. The four core strategic lines refer to (a) creating 29)
Article 60 of North Korea’s
a politically and ideologically stronger Korean People’s Army (KPA), (b) creating a Constitution provides, “The
State shall implement the
morally stronger KPA, (c) developing the KPA into an army of sophisticated tactics, line of self-reliant defense,
and (d) making the various branches of KPA stronger. the import of which is to
arm the entire people,
While maintaining a military strategy centered on guerrilla warfare, hybrid fortify the country, train the
army into a cadre army and
warfare, and blitzkrieg, North Korea is also exploring a variety of strategies and modernize the army on the
basis of equipping the army
tactics. It has also selectively enhanced the performance of its conventional weapons and the people politically
and ideologically.”
and built up asymmetrical capabilities such as nuclear weapons, WMD , missiles,
30)
long-range artilleries, submarines, Special Operation Forces, and cyber units. Since 30)
Weapons of Mass
May 2019, North Korea has been test-firing new short-range ballistic missiles based Destruction

Chapter 1. Changes and Challenges in the Security Environment 29