North Korea on Thursday stressed the need for ideological education and patriotism of the youth instead of blasting the US, like it often did before, on the 70th anniversary of the Korean War.

The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North’s Workers’ Party, warned against the younger generation being influenced by Western culture or ideology.

“Our awareness of social class is not innate or inherited … we should do our best to educate our youth on ideology and class as an important task related to our country, revolution and the fate of socialism,” the paper said.

“We must make the youth understand the reactionary nature and risk of the ideological and cultural infiltration of the imperialists, and try to preserve and develop our own style in language and attire.”

The newspaper also said a cease-fire was not peace, calling on North Koreans to never let their guard down and always be ready to protect their country and the “leading authority of the (Workers’) party” with all their might.

“A cease-fire is not peace. The enemies are waiting for the moment we loosen our guard,” the Rodong Sinmun said.

Articles related to the Korean War anniversary including an editorial covered most of the first three pages of Thursday’s issue of the newspaper.

Pyongyang’s international propaganda outlets also ran articles related to the Korean War anniversary.

Radio channel Tongil Voice emphasized that the US was entirely responsible for the outbreak of the Korean War on June 25, 1950, while website DPRK Today ran a story on a museum at the center of the North’s anti-US indoctrination.

While the Rodong did mention that the US imperialists started the war, it stopped short of using vulgar language to blast America, and did not mention whether an annual large-scale anti-US rally was going to be held.

North Korea has carried out anti-US indoctrination projects under an annual campaign starting from June 25 through July 27, the day the Korean War armistice was signed in 1953.

On June 25, the North has normally held a mass rally at the Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang.

They did not hold the anti-US rally in 2018 and 2019 when US-North Korea relations appeared to be taking turns, but it was unknown whether they would hold one this year after their nuclear negotiations with the US were stalled for over a year.

By Kim So-hyun (sophie@heraldcorp.com)