Official announcements from the South Korean government or defense ministry

North Korea Drops Unification Goal, Defines South as 'Hostile State', Cuts Cross-Border Links

Oct 17, 2024, 05:20 AM

North Korea has revised its constitution to define South Korea as a 'hostile state' for the first time, state media KCNA reported on Thursday. The constitutional amendment, confirmed by the Supreme People's Assembly, codifies the South as an enemy rather than a partner for reconciliation and cooperation. This move aligns with leader Kim Jong-un's directive to drop unification as a national goal, further straining relations between the two Koreas. Two days earlier, on Tuesday, North Korea destroyed key front-line roads and rail links that once connected it with South Korea, intensifying tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The dismantling of these connections signals a significant deterioration in inter-Korean relations.