According to state media, North Korea‘s constitution has officially categorized South Korea as a “hostile state,” marking the first disclosure of the recent constitutional amendments made by Pyongyang.
The state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun characterized the change as an “inevitable and legitimate measure,” coinciding with a period of heightened tensions between the Koreas, the most intense seen in years.
On Tuesday, the North detonated explosives on roads and railways linking it to South Korea, an action characterized by state media as “part of the step-by-step implementation to separate [the Koreas] thoroughly.”
Some analysts interpret the constitutional amendment as primarily symbolic, especially given North Korean leader Kim Jong Un‘s renunciation of unification as early as December 2023.
During that period, state media conveyed Kim’s assertion that inter-Korean relations had deteriorated into “a relationship between two hostile countries and two belligerents at war.”
In January, he announced that unification with South Korea was unattainable and suggested potential constitutional amendments to label the South as the “principal enemy.”
In recent months, a series of exchanges between the Koreas have contributed to a notable increase in tensions.
According to Bruce Bennett, a defense analyst at Rand Corporation, the phrase “hostile states” has been a defining feature of North Korean communications for nearly a year.
Mr. Bennett informed the BBC that the announcement at the close of 2023 marked a notable turning point, heightening the risks of confrontation and the possibility of an escalation spiral.
In recent developments, Kim and his sister have issued several threats regarding nuclear weapons aimed at South Korea and the United States, further intensifying tensions through various actions. The risks have indeed escalated.
Despite widespread anticipation among observers during last week’s Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) meeting in Pyongyang for potential constitutional amendments regarding unification and border policies, no such changes have been announced to date.
Despite ongoing tensions, experts remain doubtful regarding the likelihood of an all-out conflict.
“I do not believe the situation will escalate to the level of war,” stated Professor Kang Dong-wan, a political science and diplomacy educator at Dong-a University in Busan. North Korea is using military confrontation to bolster internal unity.
Professor Kim Dong-yup, affiliated with the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, has raised doubts regarding Pyongyang’s capacity to launch a full-scale war.
“The authorities are fully cognizant of the significant repercussions that such a conflict would entail,” he stated.
