North Korea has changed its constitution to officially call South Korea a “hostile state,” according to state-run news. This is the first time North Korea has openly shared what its recent constitutional changes include.
North Korea’s main newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, said this was a necessary action due to the high tensions between the two Koreas, which are at their worst in years, reported the BBC.
On Tuesday, North Korea destroyed roads and railways that connected it to South Korea, with state media explaining it as part of their plan to fully separate from the South.
This action follows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s earlier decision in December 2023, where he said unification with South Korea was no longer possible.
In January, he even hinted that constitutional changes were coming to officially label the South as the “main enemy,” according to BBC.
Tensions between the North and South have been increasing for months. North Korea has used terms like “hostile states” in its messages for almost a year, says Bruce Bennett, a defense analyst at Rand Corporation.
This change in 2023 raised concerns about the chances of conflict. Bennett also mentioned to the BBC that Kim and his sister have threatened both South Korea and the U.S. with nuclear weapons several times, increasing the risk of conflict.
Although many expected North Korea to change its policies on unification and border control during a recent Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) meeting, these changes were only made public now. However, some experts don’t believe war will break out.
Professor Kang Dong-wan from Dong-a University in Busan told the BBC that North Korea is using this military tension to unite its own people.
Professor Kim Dong-yup, from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, also told the BBC that North Korea understands the serious consequences a full-scale war would bring, making it unlikely that they will start one.
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1wnxlxxwq2o