The unification ministry predicts that North Korea will increase its military activity this year as it has designated 2025 a year of training.

Unification minister Kim Yung-ho told the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Wednesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un proclaimed the special year during a visit to the North’s defense ministry on February 8. 

The unification minister said the North Korean leader has also instructed his defense ministry to make thorough preparations in line with the demands of modern warfare.  

Minister Kim said that thanks to its close partnership with Russia, the North can focus on building homes in Pyongyang and implementing its “20×10” rural development policy, under which it plans to build modern factories in 20 cities and counties per year over the next ten years. 

He said the North Korean people continue to suffer hardship, including reduced market activity, inflation and higher currency exchange rates, as the North’s key macroeconomic indices have yet to recover to levels seen before the country became the target of international sanctions.