Pyongyang: North Korea has officially designated South Korea as a “hostile state”, state media confirmed on Thursday, following an amendment to its constitution. This change aligns with leader Kim Jong Un’s pledge to abandon unification as a national goal, marking a significant shift in inter-Korean relations.
According to the North’s KCNA news agency, the country’s military took “legitimate action” on Tuesday by destroying sections of road and rail links with South Korea. The 60-meter (66-yard) segments of infrastructure on the northern side of the border, once used for crossings, are now completely blocked, part of what Pyongyang calls a “phased complete separation” from the South.
“This is an inevitable and legitimate measure taken in keeping with the requirement of the DPRK Constitution, which clearly defines the ROK as a hostile state,” KCNA stated, using the formal names for North Korea (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and South Korea (the Republic of Korea).
Separation of the Korean Peninsula
KCNA also cited a North Korean defense ministry spokesperson who mentioned that the regime would take additional steps to “permanently fortify the closed southern border.” However, no further details on constitutional changes ordered by Kim Jong Un were disclosed.
In January, Kim had called for a constitutional revision that would remove unification as a goal, accusing South Korea of colluding with the United States to bring down the North Korean regime. The recent amendment, adopted by the Supreme People’s Assembly last week, was expected to formally recognize South Korea as a separate country and designate it as a principal enemy.
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Escalating Tensions
The inter-Korean relationship has deteriorated significantly, with both sides abandoning a 2018 agreement aimed at reducing military tensions. Hostile rhetoric from the North has intensified in recent days, including accusations that South Korean drones violated its airspace. While South Korea’s government has not confirmed these claims, tensions escalated when the South fired warning shots across the border in response to North Korea’s destruction of road and rail crossings.
Pyongyang had previously announced plans to sever all remaining inter-Korean roads and rail links as part of its push for a formal “two-state” system, scrapping its long-held aspiration for reunification.
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South Korea’s Response
Despite the North’s aggressive moves, South Korea has reiterated its commitment to national unification but has vowed to respond forcefully to any provocation from the North.
