North Korea claimed that the essence of its policy to strengthen defense capabilities, including bolstering its nuclear force, is to guarantee the "people's life and safety."
The Labor Party's organ, Rodong Sinmun, said in a March 21 editorial titled "The lifeblood of the Workers' Party of Korea's policy lies in absolute people-first principles," that "party policy is a policy that takes full responsibility for the people's dignity and life safety and steadfastly defends them as its top mission," and stated accordingly.
Rodong Sinmun said, "Nothing is as strong as the demand for a happy and stable life for a person," adding, "The people's dignity and life safety are the most crucial matter that must never be infringed upon even by an inch and must be protected under any circumstances."
It continued, "Even amid the persistent threats and pressure from hostile forces, policies for boosting national defense capabilities, including the policy of strengthening nuclear force, have been drawn up one after another and carried out with resolve in order to stockpile powerful military strength and thereby tenaciously secure the people's independent life and livelihood in today's world, where tyranny and arbitrariness are rampant."
It then said, "There has never been a case in the world like Korea, where the defense industry and revolutionary armed forces are invoked in connection with the sacred name card of the Party," adding, "Every line of the decision adopted at the Political Bureau meeting of the Party Central Committee clearly reflects the immovable stance of the Labor Party to take responsibility for the people's fate to the very end."