| March 1 (Local) | The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions
against North Korea (2 individuals and 3 organizations)
･
△ (Organization) Chilsong Trading Corporation and Korea Paekho
Trading Corporation, △ (Individual) Hwang Kil Su and Pak Hwa
Song |
| March 2 | Press Release of the 14th meeting of the
Political Bureau of the 8th Party Central Committee
(Rodong/Korea Central News Agency) |
| March 2 | Unification Minister Kwon delivered
congratulatory remarks at the 54th foundation anniversary
ceremony of the ministry
･ During his congratulatory
remarks, Minister Kwon said, “The Unification Ministry is making
efforts to build trust between the two Koreas and secure
international support, centered on the ‘Audacious Initiative’
and ‘running in a relay race’ approach.” He added that “If North
Korea truly cares about the lives of North Koreans, it should
immediately stop its nuclear threats and provocations and
respond to our ‘Audacious Initiative.’” |
| March 3 | Remarks by
Kim Sun Kyung, vice minister of the International Organization
Department at North Korea’s Foreign Ministry, condemning the
ROK-U.S. combined air drills (March 3)(Korea Central News
Agency) |
| March 4 | North Korean ambassador to the UN Office in
Geneva condemned the international community for raising human
rights issues in North Korea (VOA) |
| March 6 | The
Ministry of Unification announced members appointed to the North
Korean Human Rights Promotion Committee and issued a
directive |
| March 7 | Remarks by Kim Yo Jong, the vice department
director of the Central Committee of the WPK (Korea Central News
Agency)
･ “It will be regarded as a clear declaration of
war against North Korea, in case such military response as
interception takes place against our tests of strategic weapons
that are conducted in the open waters and air which do not
belong to the U.S. jurisdiction.” |
| March 7 | Remarks by
the chief of the Foreign News Section at North Korea’s Foreign
Ministry (Korea Central News Agency)
･ “U.S. nuclear
strategic bombers flew over the Korean Peninsula again for the
first time in three months to conduct joint air drills. This is
a clear indication that the U.S. nuclear program is moving
forward at the operation level.” |
|
March 7 | An announcement by
the spokesperson of the General Staff Department of the Korean
People’s Army (Korea Central News Agency)
･ “The enemy
fired more than 30 artillery shells at the Cho-ri shooting range
in Jingdong-myeon, Paju of Gyeonggi-do, situated in the forward
area of the western front.”
< Opinions of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (March 7) >
o “There was no artillery firing by our forces in the
region where the North claims. The announcement by the North
Korean military’s General Staff Department is not true and is a
groundless claim.” |
| March
9 | North Korea fired a SRBM toward
the Yellow Sea from Nampo, Pyeongannam-do (March 10,
Rodong/Korea Central News Agency)
･ Kim Jong Un, chairman
of the State Affairs Committee, gave field guidance to the
Hwasong artillery unit on the western front and inspected a fire
assault drill (Rodong/Korea Central News Agency) |
| March 10 | The
Ministry of Unification held the inaugural meeting of the North
Korean Human Rights Promotion Committee |
| March 12 | The 5th
enlarged meeting of the 8th Party Central Military Commission
(Rodong/Korea Central News Agency)
･ The meeting,
presided over by Kim Jong Un, chairman of the State Affairs
Committee, “Discussed and adopted the important practical steps
for making more effective, powerful and offensive use of the war
deterrent in response to the current situation.” |
| March 12 | North
Korea fired two submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCM) from
the sea near Sinpo, Hamgyeongnam-do (March 13, Rodong/Korea
Central News Agency)
･ First cruise missile launch from a
submarine
< Opinions of the Ministry of Unification (March 13)
>
o “It is deeply regrettable that North Korea would
use our annual, defensive exercises as an excuse for
provocation.” “I hope North Korea realizes that there is nothing
they can earn from escalating tensions on the Korean
Peninsula.” |
| March 13 to 23
| South Korea and the U.S. conducted the
“Freedom Shield” exercise.
･ For the first time in five
years; the longest-ever ROK-U.S. joint exercise (11 days) |
| March 14 | North Korea fired a SRBM toward the East from
Jangyon, Hwanghaenam-do (March 15, Rodong/Korea Central News
Agency) |
| March 15 | The President gave an interview to the Yomiuri
Shimbun
･ “I expect that normalizing the bilateral
relations between South Korea and Japan will not only serve the
interests of both countries but also will send a very positive
sign to the international community.” “Visiting Japan is itself
major progress and a major outcome.”
･ “It is important
to deepen security cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and
Japan more comprehensively and strategically, along with
strengthening the ROK-U.S. extended deterrence capability to
respond to the North’s nuclear and missile threats.” |
| March 16 | North Korea fired an ICBM toward the East from
Sunan, Pyeongyang (March 17, Rodong/Korea Central News Agency)
･ Under the guidance of Kim Jong Un, chairman of the
State Affairs Committee
< The President’s
remarks at the NSC Standing Committee meeting (March 16) >
o “North Korea will certainly pay the price for its
reckless provocations.” “Thoroughly carry out the ongoing joint
exercise of ‘Freedom Shield’ while maintaining a firm South
Korea-U.S. joint defense posture that can curb any threat from
North Korea.”
< Opinions of the Ministry of
Unification (March 17) >
o “North Korea’s reckless
nuclear and missile development is to blame for the escalating
tensions on the Korean Peninsula. It is deeply regrettable that
the North would use ROK-U.S joint exercises as an excuse for
provoction.” |
| March 16 |
South Korea-Japan Summit Meeting (Tokyo)
･ (Joint press conference by the Leaders of the Republic
of Korea and Japan) △ Complete normalization of GSOMIA pact △
Early resumption of vice-ministerial strategic talks △
Expectation for the resumption of high-level consultative
meeting among Korea, Japan, and China |
| March 16 | The
Ministry of Unification announced North Korean refugees
settlement support act |
| March
17 (Local) | Closed-door meeting
of the UN Security Council on human rights issues in North
Korea |
| March 19 | North Korea’s response to the closed-door
meeting of the UN Security Council on human rights issues in
North Korea (Korea Central News Agency)
･ (Press
statement by the Permanent Mission of North Korea to the UN)
“The pressure campaign of the U.S. is a serious violation of the
dignity and sovereignty of North Korea and a grave
confrontation. We resolutely denounce and reject it.”
･
(Remarks by Kim Sun Kyung, vice minister of the International
Organization Department at North Korea’s Foreign Ministry) “I am
convinced that the UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ biased
stance is a manifestation of his innate subservience to the
United States.”
･ (Remarks by Jo Chol Su, director
general of the International Organization Department at North
Korea’s Foreign Ministry) “The U.S. representative to the UN is
behaving indecently and decides to make an issue out of North
Korea at the UN Security Council table.” “All that the U.S. will
gain from trying to sway us with human rights issues is an
irreversible instability of its security.” |
| March 18 to 19 | North Korea conducted virtual comprehensive
tactical training for nuclear counterattacks (March 20,
Rodong/Korea Central News Agency)
･ North Korea fired a
SRBM toward the East from Dongchang-ri on March 19 (The Joint
Chiefs of Staff)
･ According to North Korean leader Kim
Jong Un, “North Korea cannot actually deter a war with the mere
fact that it is a nuclear weapons state. We urgently need an
exponential increase in nuclear arsenal.” |
| March 20 (Local) | The UN Human Rights Council held an interactive
dialogue with the Special Rapporteur (Geneva)
･ Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in North Korea, “We
need international actions such as criminal prosecution to hold
human rights violators accountable.” |
| March 20 (Local) | UN Security Council meeting on North Korea's
ICBM launch (New York) |
| March
20 to April 3 | The ROK-U.S.
Ssangyong Exercise |
| March 21
(Local) | China-Russia joint
statement (Moscow) |
| March
21 | The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs imposed additional sanctions against North Korea
･ △ (4 individuals) Ri Yong-gil (vice chairman of the Central
Military Commission of the WPK), Kim Su-gil (former director of
the General Political Bureau), Jung Sung Hwa, and Tan Wee Beng
(Singapore) △ (6 organizations) The Central Public Prosecutors
Office, Beijing Accommodations, the Scientific and Educational
Film Studio of Korea, Chulsan Trading Company, Wee Tiong Pte.
Ltd (Singapore), and WT Marine Pte. Ltd (Singapore) |
| March 21 | The EU submitted a North Korean human rights
resolution to the UN Human Rights Council
･ South Korea
co-sponsored the resolution for the first time in five
years |
| March 21 to 23 |
North Korea conducted important weapon
tests and firing drills for strategic aim (March 24, Korea
Central News Agency)
･ Supreme Leader Kim Jong “seriously
warned the enemies once again that they should stop the reckless
anti-DPRK war drills.”
･ △ (Drill 1) A new underwater
attack weapon system (March 21 to 23, detonation test of the
unmanned underwater nuclear attack boat “Haeil” around the coast
of Hamgyeongnam-do) △ (Drill 2) A tactical nuclear attack drill
and examination training for operational normality was conducted
by a strategic cruise missile unit (March 22, a strategic cruise
missile was launched around Hamhung, Hamgyeongnam-do) |
| March 22 | Remarks by Jo Chol Su, director general of the
International Organization Department at North Korea’s Foreign
Ministry
･ “Forcing us to give up our nuclear weapons is
a declaration of war. Bear in mind that we will take a stern
measure to anyone who calls for CVID according to the nuclear
forces policy law.” |
| March 22
to 25 | Unification Minister
visited Japan
･ △ Talks with Foreign Minister, Chief
Cabinet Secretary, members of the Japanese Parliament (former
Prime Minister, Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the
LDP, Secretary-General of the LDP, Chairman of the
Korean-Japanese Parliamentarians’ Union, and the group’s
Secretary-General) △ Meeting with correspondents and local
Korean residents |
| March 24
| President Yoon delivered a speech at
the West Sea Defense Day
･ “North Korea will surely pay a
price for its reckless provocation.” |
| March 27 | North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided the country’s nuclear
weaponization project (March 28, Rodong/Korea Central News
Agency) |
| March 27 | North Korea fired two SRBMs toward the East
from Chunghwa, Hwanghaebuk-do (March 28, Rodong/Korea Central
News Agency)
･ Conducted missile firing drills on the
central front |
| March 25 to
27 | North Korea tested the
underwater strategic weapon system (“Haeil”)(March 28,
Rodong/Korea Central News Agency) |
| March 27 to 28 | Korea and the U.S. conducted the Carrier Strike
Group exercise |
| March 28
| The UN Human Rights Office published a
report on abductions and enforced disappearances by North
Korea. |
| March 30 | The Ministry of Unification published the 2023
North Korean Human Rights Report |
