March 1 | Address by
President Yoon Suk Yeol on the 105th March First Independence
Movement Day ・ “The March First Independence Movement
will be made complete only upon a unification that brings
freedom and abundance to everyone. Now, we must move toward a
free, unified Korean Peninsula where the people are its rightful
owners. North Korea still continues its totalitarian system and
repressive rule and is unable to escape from the worst forms of
degradation and poverty. The North Korean regime relies solely
on nuclear weapons and missiles while trapping its 26 million
citizens in a quagmire of misery and despair. Recently, North
Korea labeled the Republic of Korea as its primary foe and
invariable principal enemy.” ・ “Unification is not just
an issue confined to the Korean Peninsula. The tyranny and human
rights abuses of the North Korean regime deny the universal
values of humanity. Unification is precisely what is needed to
expand the universal values of freedom and human rights. Our
unification efforts must become a source of hope and a beacon of
light for the people of North Korea. The government will
continue extending the helping hand to North Koreans, and our
efforts to improve their human rights will never cease. We will
continue to provide North Korean defectors with warmhearted
support, so they can enjoy freedom and prosperity together with
us. Beginning this year, the government designated July 14 as
North Korean Defectors’ Day. In light of this designation, I ask
all citizens to extend warm compassion and understanding toward
North Korean defectors.” ・ “Unification is a challenging
task that we cannot accomplish alone. The international
community must pool its strength in a responsible manner. A
free, unified Republic of Korea will contribute to peace and
prosperity not only in Northeast Asia but also in the
Indo-Pacific region and the rest of the world. As President of
the Republic of Korea, I will do all I can to fulfill this duty
that history and the Constitution have given to me.” |
March 4 to 14 | The ROK-U.S. joint military drills (Freedom
Shield) |
March 5 | Remarks by the spokesperson for the DPRK’s
Defense Ministry condemning the ROK-U.S. joint military drills
(Rodong/KCNA) |
March 6 |
Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un inspected a
major operational training base in the western area of the KPA
(March 7, Rodong/KCNA) |
March
7 | Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un
guided the artillery firing drill of the KPA large combined
units (March 8, Rodong/KCNA) |
March 13 | Supreme Leader Kim
Jong Un guided a training match between the large combined
tankmen’s units of the KPA (March 14, Rodong/KCNA) |
March 15 | Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho attended the
first plenary session of the Unification Future Planning
Committee for 2024 |
March
15 | Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un
attended a ceremony for the completion and inauguration of the
Kangdong General Greenhouse Farm and guided training of airborne
units of the KPA (March 16, Rodong/KCNA) |
March 16 | Remarks
by Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central
Committee of the WPK, praising Russian President Putin for
presenting a private car to Kim Jong Un (KCNA)
< Joint Chiefs of Staff (March 18) > o “Our
military will maintain the capability and readiness to
overwhelmingly respond to any provocation under the strong
ROK-U.S. joint defense posture.” |
March 18 | Supreme Leader Kim
Jong Un inspected a firing drill of artillery units in the
western area (March 19, Rodong/KCNA) |
March 18 | Supreme
Leader Kim Jong Un sent a congratulatory message to Russian
President Putin for his reelection (March 18, KCNA/March 19,
Rodong) |
March 19 | Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un guided a ground jet
test of a solid-fuel engine for a new intermediate-range
hypersonic missile (March 20, Rodong/KCNA) |
March 18 to 20 | The
3rd Summit for Democracy (Seoul) |
March 20 | The Gaeseong
Industrial District Foundation held its regular board meeting
and passed the dissolution motion |
March 20 | The UN
Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea released its
annual report of the Panel of Experts |
March 22 | President
Yoon warned that “North Korea will pay a larger price in the
event it carries out a reckless provocation” (West Sea Defense
Day ceremony) |
March 23
| The meeting of the Central Committee of
the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea (DFRK)
decided to formally dissolve the Central Committee of the DFRK
(March 24, KCNA) |
March 24
| The DPRK permanent mission to the UN
Office and International Organization in Geneva condemned the EU
for submitting a draft resolution (March 20) on North Korean
human rights (KCNA) |
March
24 | Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un
sent a message of sympathy to Russian President Putin regarding
a terrorist attack in Moscow concert hall (KCNA/Rodong) |
March 25 | Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un inspected the Seoul
Ryu Kyong Su Guards 105th Tank Division of the KPA and a
regiment under the direct control of the division
(Rodong/KCNA) |
March 25
| Remarks by Kim Yo Jong, vice department
director of the Central Committee of the WPK, regarding possible
DPRK-Japan talks (KCNA) |
March
25 | Japanese Prime Minister
Kishida said that “nothing has been decided” for a summit
meeting between the DPRK and Japan |
March 25 | President
Yoon met with delegation of U.S. Congressional Study Group on
Korea (CSGK) and discussed ROK-U.S. alliance |
March 26 | Kim Yo
Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the
WPK, made remarks expressing rejection of the DPRK-Japan talks
(KCNA) |
March 28 | The Republic of Korea and the United States
imposed joint sanctions against those involved in DPRK IT
activities (4 individuals and 2 entities) |
March 29 | UN
Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea failed to
adopt the resolution to extend the mandate of the Panel of
Experts < Statement by the Ministry of
Unification (March 29) > o “It is extremely
regrettable that the Panel of Experts of the UNSC Sanctions
Committee on North Korea has come to an end due to Russia’s
exercise of veto. The veto is an act to protect Pyeongyang’s
illegal acts by covering the eyes and ears of the international
community.” o “Even if the Panel of Experts disbands, the
duty to fulfill the UNSC sanctions resolutions remains
unchanged, and Seoul will make every effort to create an
environment in which Pyeongyang has no choice but to give up on
its wrong path.” |
March 29
| Remarks by North Korean Foreign
Minister Choe Son Hui and a statement by Ri Ryong Nam, DPRK
ambassador to China, “The DPRK would reject any talks at any
level with Japan” (KCNA) |
March 31 | Supreme Leader Kim
Jong Un gave field guidance to the construction site of the
Central Cadres Training School of the WPK (Rodong/KCNA) |