North Korea may go all-out next year to idolize its "On the occasions of major political events, (North Korea) is expected to mobilize the party, military and cabinet to idolize Kim on a grand scale," the Ministry of Unification said in a forecast on the North Korean regime in the new year.
"Starting from the Mt. Baekdu hero rally slated for August, the North may try to elevate the status of Kim Jong-un to that of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il in a bid to justify power succession and solidify the regime's unity," the ministry said, referring to the two previous leaders.
| I think putting all three of the murderous bastards on the same pedestal is appropriate... |
A host of other anniversaries will also be utilized for the idolization efforts, including the 105th birthday of Kim Il-sung, the 75th birthday of Kim Jong-il, the 85th anniversary of the North Korean military's founding and the 5th year since Kim Jong-un coming to power, which all fall in 2017, according to the ministry.
On the military front, North Korea will continue to build up its nuclear and missile capabilities next year, the ministry said, predicting that Pyongyang would conduct tests of submarine-launched ballistic missiles, intercontinental ballistic missiles and missiles that can carry mock nuclear warheads.
In the new year, the regime may also seek to obtain the status of a nuclear power state, the ministry forecast showed.
"Vis-a-vis the U.S., the country is likely to repeat its demand to discard its hostile policy toward Pyongyang, but at the same time it could explore the possibilities of dialogue and fence-mending (with Washington)," the ministry said.
In addition, the reclusive regime may seek to mend its relations with China and Russia in order to break free of the international isolation, it also said.
Meanwhile, the ongoing international sanctions are expected to force the regime to resort to self-sufficiency in regards to its economic policies, including launching new national campaigns to promote