NNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un wants to declare South Korea “enemy number one” in the constitution. He came to the conclusion that reunification with the South was no longer possible. In the event of a war on the Korean Peninsula, the country's constitution should reflect the issue of “occupation”, “reconquest” and “incorporation” of the South into its territory.
“We don't want war, but we have no intention of avoiding it,” Kim was quoted as saying by KCNA in his speech to the Supreme People's Assembly. A war would decimate the South and inflict an “unimaginable” defeat on the United States. He accused the government in Seoul of seeking the collapse of the regime and reunification through absorption.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol criticized Kim's move. This shows the “anti-national and ahistorical” character of the government in Pyongyang. He announced that he would respond to provocations such as the recent rocket launch with a response “on a multiplied scale.”
North Korea closes institutions
According to state media, three organizations that deal with the current goal of reunifying the two countries and inter-Korean tourism are to be closed. Analysts say North Korea's foreign ministry could take over relations with South Korea and potentially justify the use of nuclear weapons against the South in a future war.
Experts believe the situation on the Korean peninsula is more dangerous than it has been since the beginning of June 1950: “It may sound overly dramatic, but we believe that Kim Jong-un, like his grandfather, made the strategic decision to go to war in 1950 ” write former State Department official Robert Carlin and nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker in a report for the US Project 38 North. “We don't know when or how Kim will pull the trigger, but the danger already goes far beyond the routine warnings from Washington, Seoul and Tokyo about Pyongyang's 'provocations'.”
Other observers are more optimistic: The changes simply reflect reality and could help the two Koreas normalize their relations.
#Enemy #number #North #Korea #rails #South #Korea
