North Korea has designated South Korea as a “hostile state” in line with leader Kim Jong Un’s vow to drop unification as a national goal. The North’s military blasted sections of road and rail links with South Korea as a legitimate action against the hostile state as defined by the constitution. Sixty-six yard sections of the road and railway on the North’s side of the border are now completely blocked as part of a phased complete separation of its territory from the South. The North’s defense ministry spokesperson stated that further steps will be taken to permanently fortify the closed southern border. The satellite image showed the road leading to the city of Kaesong in the North torn with a large gash on the pavement.
South Korea strongly condemned the constitution change and characterization of being a hostile state, expressing a commitment to peaceful reunification efforts. North Korea called for a constitutional amendment to erase unification as a goal, accusing Seoul of colluding with the United States. The Supreme People’s Assembly in North Korea had been expected to officially designate South Korea as a separate country and a main enemy. Tensions between the two countries have been escalating since last year, with both sides declaring an agreement to ease military tension as no longer valid. North Korea intensified its hostile rhetoric, accusing the South of intruding on its airspace and vowing retaliation, leading to warning shots being fired south of the border by the South’s military in response to the North’s detonations on roads and railways. This move is part of North Korea’s push for a “two-state” system, scrapping its longstanding goal of unification.
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