Seoul: North Korea has officially amended its constitution to designate South Korea as a “hostile state,” a move that marks a significant escalation in the tensions between the two Koreas, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). This constitutional revision aligns with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s directive to categorize the South as an adversary rather than a partner for reconciliation and unification.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the KCNA detailed that the decision followed recent actions including the destruction of roads and railways connecting the two Koreas, which were previously symbols of inter-Korean reconciliation. The report highlighted these actions as “inevitable and legitimate measures” taken in compliance with the new constitutional mandate under severe security circumstances. The constitutional amendment comes after Kim Jong-un’s declaration last December, where he described inter-Korean relations as between “two states hostile to each other,” and stated that
reconciliation or unification with South Korea was no longer a goal.
South Korea has strongly condemned this amendment, with the unification ministry criticizing the move as anti-unification and detrimental to the aspirations of both South and North Korean citizens for unity. The South Korean government has vowed to respond robustly to any further provocations by the North. In response to the North’s actions, South Korea’s military disclosed that North Korea has commenced the physical blocking of their shared border and plans to construct additional defense structures along the frontier.
The constitutional revision was reportedly decided during a key parliamentary meeting in North Korea last week, although details on whether Kim’s “two hostile states” policy was included in the changes, or if clauses related to unification were removed, were not immediately clear. Observers anticipate that further details of the revised constitution will emerge soon.
This development has occurred alongside other provocativ
e actions by North Korea, including accusations against South Korea of sending drones with anti-North Korean propaganda over its territory, a claim Seoul has not confirmed. The recent escalations underscore a significant deterioration in inter-Korean relations, which had seen periods of intense diplomacy and cooperation in the past.