North Korea’s constitution has been amended to define South Korea as a “hostile state,” Korean media reported on Thursday.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a publication:
“This is an unavoidable and lawful measure that has been taken in accordance with the requirements of the DPRK Constitution, which clearly defines the Republic of Korea as a hostile state.”
South Korean authorities condemned the amendment of the DPRK Constitution and the addition of such a characterisation against Seoul, and assured that they would not abandon efforts for peaceful reunification.
The constitutional amendment was proposed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier this year. He said North Korea would no longer seek reconciliation with South Korea. North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly said the two Koreas were in a state of “acute confrontation” and that it would be a grave mistake for the North to consider the South as a diplomatic partner.
Earlier, Pyongyang also completely severed road and rail links with Seoul. North and South Korea are linked by roads and railways, which in the past have been seen as symbols of cooperation between the two countries. The North Korean military blew up two stretches of roads leading to the republic on October 15.
Seoul condemned Pyongyang’s actions, stressing that the road bombing violated the inter-Korean agreement. The South Korean military responded by firing south of the Military Demarcation Line, which is the axis of the demilitarised zone separating the two countries, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Republic of Korea’s Armed Forces said.
On October 11, the DPRK demanded that South Korea stop flying drones over the country’s territory and said it was giving Seoul a “final warning,” otherwise Pyongyang threatened to put offensive assets on the border on full alert.
