North Koreans stage a rally in Pyongyang on Thursday. (AP-Yonhap)
On Saturday, North Korea announced that nearly 3.5 million workers, party members and soldiers volunteered to join or rejoin its army in order to retaliate against the US agressive actions and the recent United Nations sanctions.
The announcement is another sign that the tension is dramatically growing between Pyongyang and Washington.
According to Rodong Sinmun, North Korea’s official newspaper, a total of 3.475 million people had offered to join or rejoin the People’s Army after the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) issued a statement condemning new sanctions imposed on North Korea.
“All the people are rising up across the country to retaliate against the US thousands of times. In North Hwanghae Province, 89,000 young men pleaded to enlist or reenlist on Aug. 9 alone. In Daedong County of South Pyongan Province, more than 20,000 students, party members and laborers filed enlistment or reenlistment requests,” the newspaper said.
Separately, the KCNA reported that rallies of youth, workers and trade union members took place at the Youth Park Open-Air Theater and the compound of the Monument to Party Founding on Friday to express the government decision to reject the recent sanctions resolution.
