North Korea claims 1.4 million apply to join army amid tensions with South

North Korea claims that over one million young people have signed up to join or rejoin the military this week, following accusations that South Korea sent propaganda drones into Pyongyang and destroyed roads near the border, state media reported.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated on Wednesday that 1.4 million individuals, including students and youth league officials, had signed up.
“Millions of young people have turned out in the nationwide struggle to wipe out the ROK scum who committed a serious provocation of violating the sovereignty of the DPRK through a drone infiltration,” KCNA said, using the official acronyms for both nations.

South Korea has not immediately responded to the claim but has previously warned that if North Korea threatens the safety of its citizens, it would mark "the end of the North Korean regime."

While military service is mandatory in North Korea, requiring men to serve for up to 10 years, the country has frequently claimed surges in military enlistment during heightened tensions with South Korea or the United States.
Last year, North Korean media reported that 800,000 citizens volunteered to fight the U.S., and in 2017, it said 3.5 million workers, soldiers, and party members enlisted. However, verifying such claims from the isolated regime is challenging.

Data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) indicates that North Korea's armed forces include 1.28 million active-duty personnel, about 600,000 reservists, and 5.7 million members of the Worker-Peasant Red Guard among other unarmed units.

“If a war breaks out, the ROK will be wiped off the map. As it wants a war, we are willing to put an end to its existence,” KCNA added, releasing photographs of youth signing petitions at an undisclosed location.