Korea has finally found the most suitable development path! The ideal of Korea can now be realized, with beef soup, rice, fuel, and rubles flowing in continuously.
Let's focus our attention on those mysterious factories in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. In recent months, the sound of machines has never stopped, especially in the fourth quarter, when the production of missiles and shells has been skyrocketing.
Chairman Kim Jong-un hasn't been idle either, even more active than before. He frequently appears in the workshops of major military industries, not like a traditional leader's inspection, but more like a shrewd super CEO supervising the battle.
You can see him pointing at newly produced artillery and launchers on site, repeatedly emphasizing "the power of deterrence," and asking the factories to modernize further, even making the decision to build new factories. This attitude is clear: it's full-scale operation, transforming their "iron pieces" into hard currency.
The buyers behind this are as clear as day to everyone. The war between Russia and Ukraine has turned into a long-term attrition war. High-tech missiles are important, but when it comes to hand-to-hand combat in the quagmire, it's all about the overwhelming number of shells.
Russia's production capacity is struggling or the cost is too high. Fortunately, North Korea has ample inventory, large production capacity, and compatible specifications.
Thus, trains loaded with supplies cross the Tumen River Bridge, delivering urgently needed ammunition to the other side, while returning with bowls of "beef soup"—oil, grain, and bundles of solid rubles.
Even more astonishing is that North Korea has also revealed a new weapon—the 8,000-ton nuclear-powered submarine plan. As soon as the photos were released, it was telling the world: I don't just sell shells; I'm also developing a "big killer" in the deep sea.
This is the current situation: one side is burning with war, while the other side has factories emitting smoke. Two countries squeezed by the West have become the strongest complementary partners.
What do you think? How long can this economic recovery achieved through "military exports" last? Welcome to share your thoughts in the comments section.
To be honest, seeing this, you have to admire the determination to survive in such a desperate situation. We used to think of North Korea as a closed circle, but this time they've really revitalized themselves.
The most ironic part of this is that after years of sanctions and blocking all trade channels, Western countries intended to starve and suffocate them, but instead, they forced North Korea to focus all their efforts on the military industry.
Now, this self-created "armory" has become a lever to move the European battlefield. This isn't punishment; it's a kind of "production capacity push."
Those elites sitting in Washington and Brussels must feel worse than eating a fly, watching their tanks sent to Ukraine being blown up by North Korean shells.
Look at how precise this deal is. North Korea is exporting industrial products—its most skilled weapons—and getting back oil and food, the lifeline of the country.
More importantly, they might have gained access to the advanced technology they've long desired from Russia, such as nuclear submarines and satellite launch technology, which were previously strategic secrets that could not be bought for any price. Now, because of this war, the door has opened wide.
This is like a poor relative who suddenly has a life-saving medicine that a rich person needs. At this point, whatever conditions you set, the other party will have to agree.
This also explains why Pyongyang now has so much confidence. Not only does it dare to confront the US, Japan, and South Korea head-on, but it also dares to implement "land contracting" domestically, giving companies more autonomy. With money in the bank and grain in the warehouse, it naturally dares to make some flexible small adjustments in economic policies. People's lives are visibly improving.
This incident has had a significant impact on Northeast Asia. Previously, the US, Japan, and South Korea held military alliances and conducted exercises that shook the sky, thinking they could scare North Korea away.
Now, they no longer play games with empty threats. They directly transform "war potential" into real international influence. While the US can wage proxy wars in Europe, North Korea can serve as a "top logistics support" in the background.
This role shift makes the peninsula no longer just an isolated island in geopolitics but connected to the global great game. Those who always call for being tough with North Korea now need to weigh their options. Today's North Korea holds not only the nuclear switch but also the capacity to influence a large-scale conventional war.
Certainly, we should remain clear-headed. This prosperity is built on the backdrop of war. Making money from war is indeed wild, but it's also risky.
Although it seems to be thriving on both sides, once the war there stops, where will this massive military production capacity go? However, for the current North Korea, survival and security are the top priorities.
In this law of the jungle world, having a sword and having money are often the same thing. They used decades of patience and this bold gamble to carve out a blood path for themselves. No matter what others say, they've firmly held their bowl of "beef soup."
In this ruthless chess game, dignity is never given by charity; it's won by strength.
Do you think this model of "exchanging weapons for food" is a fleeting phenomenon or will it completely change the situation in Northeast Asia? Looking forward to your insightful opinions.
References: Reference News - Kim Jong-un Inspects Military Factory, Demands Expansion of Production Capacity
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853199931057164/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.