North Korea claims 1.4 million youth volunteered for military amid rising tensions with South Korea

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - North Korea claimed Wednesday that over 1.4 million young people and students have volunteered to join or rejoin the military as tensions with South Korea escalate.

According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), "millions of young people have turned out in the nationwide struggle to wipe out the ROK (South Korea) scum who committed a serious provocation of violating the sovereignty” of North Korea.

The report said the surge in volunteers occurred over the weekend, on Oct. 14 and 15.

The recruitment drive comes amid heightened hostilities between the two Koreas, following accusations that South Korean drones entered North Korean airspace over Pyongyang.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un convened a security meeting on Monday to address the alleged drone incursions, which Pyongyang claims have occurred since Oct. 3. North Korea has blamed the South Korean military for the “provocations.”

In response, North Korea also reportedly destroyed land routes connecting the two countries, intensifying the standoff. Seoul, however, has stated it cannot confirm North Korea's allegations.

KCNA condemned the alleged drone incursions as an act designed to "push the tense situation to the brink of war," warning that South Korea’s actions could lead to its “self-destruction.”

The report went further, asserting North Korea’s “will to annihilate the scum of the ROK” and stating that if a war breaks out, “the ROK will be wiped off the map.”

Meanwhile, South Korea announced Wednesday that it is coordinating with the US and Japan to form a joint mechanism, along with other partner countries, to monitor UN sanctions on North Korea followibg Russia’s recent veto on extending the mandate of a UN panel that monitors compliance with sanctions on Pyongyang.