Sources inside North Korea have told Daily NK they expect the authorities to further elevate domestic tensions by declaring a quasi-state of war in the next few days.
A source from northerly Hoeryeong in North Hamkyung Province told Daily NK today, “Before the [ROK-U.S. ‘Key Resolve-Foal Eagle’] military exercises started on the 11th, orders were handed down telling us to raise the readiness posture one step from ‘combat mobilization.’” Therefore, he added, “There will be high level drills for a week, including not just underground training but also some combined drills involving simulated enemy action.”
But most importantly, the source said he had heard from military cadres that “sometime today or tomorrow there will be an important announcement.” It is unclear when the announcement will occur or what it is set to reveal, but the source predicted that a quasi-state of war could be declared.
“There have been orders to distribute all reserve supplies to the people. The emergency supplies stored in the No. 2 Depot have been sent out to public distribution locations,” he said. “They are just waiting for the order to distribute it.”
The source also reiterated information Daily NK has heard from a number of places in recent days; namely, that people are more worried than normal about the current security situation.
The North Korean authorities previously declared a quasi-state of war in 1993 when they withdrew the country from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and at the time of the USS Pueblo incident in 1968.
