North Korea's constitution has now officially branded the South as a "hostile state," according to state-run media outlets, marking the first tangible revelation of Pyongyang's recent constitutional overhauls. The Rodong Sinmun, the country's official newspaper, hailed this shift as an "inescapable and rightful step," amidst escalating tensions between the two Koreas that have reached fever pitch in recent years.
On Tuesday, North Korea detonated roads and railways linking it to the South, a dramatic gesture described by state media as "a pivotal move towards the gradual and complete severance of ties." While some observers perceive this constitutional amendment as largely symbolic, given Kim Jong Un's earlier renunciation of unification as far back as December 2023, it underscores a profound shift in inter-Korean relations.
At that time, state propaganda echoed Kim's words, portraying inter-Korean ties as "a confrontational relationship between two belligerent nations at war." Fast-forwarding to January, he declared unification with the South an impossibility, foreshadowing constitutional tweaks that would designate the South as the "primary adversary."
Since then, a series of exchanges between the Koreas, particularly in recent months, have fueled a steady climb in tensions. The phrase "hostile states" has become a recurring theme in North Korean communications, spanning nearly a year, notes Bruce Bennett, a defense analyst at the Rand Corporation. "This announcement, made towards the end of 2023, marked a significant turning point, heightening the specter of confrontation and the danger of an escalating conflict," he told the BBC. "Since then, Kim and his sister have unleashed a barrage of nuclear threats against the South and the US, further escalating tensions. The risks are mounting."
Many anticipated that the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) meeting last week would usher in constitutional revisions pertaining to unification and border policies, yet such changes remained under wraps until now. Nevertheless, analysts remain skeptical about the likelihood of a full-blown war.
"I doubt the situation will escalate to the brink of war," opined Professor Kang Dong-wan, a political science and diplomacy expert at Dong-a University in Busan. "North Korea is leveraging military confrontation as a means to bolster internal unity." Meanwhile, Professor Kim Dong-yup from the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul cast doubt on Pyongyang's capacity to initiate a full-scale conflict. "The regime is acutely aware of the dire consequences such a war would entail," he cautioned.
