North Korea Claims 1.4M Military Volunteers

North Korea reports that 1.4 million young people have volunteered to join or rejoin the Korean People's Army in response to alleged drone incursions by South Korea, which Pyongyang claims carried propaganda leaflets. This development follows North Korea's dramatic actions, including the destruction of inter-Korean roads and rail lines, further heightening tensions on the peninsula. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) frames this enlistment surge as a nationalistic response to defend North Korea's sovereignty and as preparation for a potential 'sacred war.' These claims, however, are difficult to independently verify due to North Korea's isolated nature. Previously, Pyongyang has made similar claims during heightened tensions, such as in 2017 when it reported 3.5 million volunteers to fight against the U.S. South Korea has not commented on these recent enlistment claims but has warned that any North Korean aggression could lead to severe consequences.