North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed that his country will succeed in its “anti-imperialist, anti-US” efforts during the anniversary of the Korean War armistice, state media reported on Sunday.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim visited a war museum the day before. He reaffirmed his commitment to building a prosperous country with a strong military. He also expressed confidence that North Korea will become an honourable victor in its confrontation with the US.
The armistice was signed on 27 July 1953 by North Korea, the United States, and China. This agreement ended three years of fighting on the Korean Peninsula. US generals signed the agreement on behalf of United Nations forces supporting South Korea.
Although the armistice set a border dividing the peninsula, it did not change territory significantly. North Korea marks 27 July as “Victory Day.” The Korean War caused around 2.5 million casualties and saw major territorial shifts during the fighting.
South Korea does not hold official events to mark the day.
North Korea is currently supporting Russia in the conflict in Ukraine. South Korean sources say thousands of North Korean troops have been sent to Russia’s Kursk region. Pyongyang has also supplied military equipment to Russia. More troop deployments may happen later this summer.
To mark the anniversary, Kim visited an artillery unit. He also paid tribute at memorials for veterans of the 1950-53 war. These included the Tower of Friendship, which honours Chinese soldiers who fought alongside North Koreans, KCNA reported.
