[KurtFF8]

Source

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has called for a change to the constitution to identify South Korea as the “number one hostile state”, ending the regime’s commitment to unifying the Korean peninsula.

In a speech to the supreme people’s assembly – North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament – Kim said he no longer believed unification was possible and accused the South of attempting to foment regime change and promote unification by stealth.

In another sign of quickly deteriorating ties between the two Koreas, which ended their 1950-53 war with a truce but not a peace treaty – Kim said: “We don’t want war, but we have no intention of avoiding it.”

The state-run KCNA news agency said on Tuesday that North Korea would close three agencies that oversee unification and inter-Korean tourism: the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification, the National Economic Cooperation Bureau and the Mount Kumgang International Tourism Administration.

“The two most hostile states, which are at war, are now in acute confrontation on the Korean peninsula,” a decision adopted by the assembly said, according to KCNA. “The reunification of Korea can never be achieved with the Republic of Korea”, the official name of South Korea.

Kim’s comments drew immediate condemnation from the South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, who accused Pyongyang of being “anti-national” in labelling the South as a hostile country.

Yoon also condemned North Korea’s recent missile launch and live-fire exercises near the countries’ tense maritime border, warning that provocations would invite retaliation on a “multiplied scale”.

Kim’s speech marks a departure from decades of official policy that saw reconciliation and unification as the ultimate goal, despite frequent rises in tensions on the peninsula.

Some analysts believe that by classifying the South as its biggest adversary, the North could be attempting to justify the use of nuclear weapons in any future war.

Kim said a war would “decimate” South Korea and deal an “unimaginable” defeat to its biggest ally, the US, which has almost 30,000 troops stationed in the country, according to KCNA.

“In the event of war on the Korean peninsula, I think it is also important to reflect on the issue of completely occupying, suppressing, and reclaiming [South Korea] and incorporating it into the territory of our Republic,” Kim said.

The recent deterioration in cross-border ties has caused alarm among some Korea watchers.

In a report published last week on the US-based 38 North project, former state department official Robert Carlin and nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker said the situation on the Korean peninsula was “more dangerous than it has been at any time since early June 1950”, shortly before the start of the Korean war.

“That may sound overly dramatic, but we believe that, like his grandfather [Kim Il-sung] in 1950, Kim Jong-un has made a strategic decision to go to war.

“We do not know when or how Kim plans to pull the trigger, but the danger is already far beyond the routine warnings in Washington, Seoul and Tokyo about Pyongyang’s ‘provocations.’”

At a meeting of the ruling Workers’ party late last year, Kim Jong-un described North and South Korea as “two states hostile to each other,” the Yonhap news agency said.

Guardian propaganda aside, this is a pretty significant event for the Koreas.

The South has always looked to German reunification in a positive light, seeing how the GDR was just annexed by the capitalist state. They clearly want the same of the DPRK. But the DPRk also followed the events in Germany and of course doesn't want that to happen.

Still a shame to officially abandon the goal of reunification at this moment, but it looks like it's more just recognizing the unwillingness of the South to do it on equal terms.

[late]

It was never possible, China hates the idea.

[KurtFF8]

It was never possible, China hates the idea.

Firstly, it's not accurate to say that China is opposed to reunification, they support it.

Secondly, it isn't really up to China.

[late]

Firstly, it's not accurate to say that China is opposed to reunification, they support it.

Secondly, it isn't really up to China.

China absolutely hates the idea of a successful democracy on their border.

There is no NK without China's help..

[wat0n]

Why would Kim Jong Un ever want to reunify with South Korea?

[KurtFF8]

China absolutely hates the idea of a successful democracy on their border.

What?

There is no NK without China's help..

They certainly have strong trade relations, but you seem to be implying that the DPRK is a puppet state of China which is not accurate.

Why would Kim Jong Un ever want to reunify with South Korea?

This has been the official policy of the DPRK and the ROK until today. Both countries literally have ministries devoted to reunification.

[wat0n]

This has been the official policy of the DPRK and the ROK until today. Both countries literally have ministries devoted to reunification.

Sure, that doesn't mean Kim Jong Un would be willing to do what it takes though.

There's no way reunification would end without him losing a lot of power, unless he defeated South Korea in the battlefield.

South Korea would never change its political and economic system for reunification, same for the North. And neither can achieve it by force.

[KurtFF8]

Sure, that doesn't mean Kim Jong Un would be willing to do what it takes though.

There's no way reunification would end without him losing a lot of power, unless he defeated South Korea in the battlefield.

South Korea would never change its political and economic system for reunification, same for the North. And neither can achieve it by force.

The reason the two haven't unified is because there hasn't been a framework established that's acceptable to either side. The DPRK of course wouldn't want to just be annexed like the GDR was.

That doesn't mean that reunification is impossible, but when one of the two sides is hostile to the idea (the South, currently), then yes it becomes less likely.

[late]

What?



They certainly have strong trade relations, but you seem to be implying that the DPRK is a puppet state of China which is not accurate.



This has been the official policy of the DPRK and the ROK until today. Both countries literally have ministries devoted to reunification.

The reality is China doesn't like NK, and vice versa.

But the last thing China wants is a failed state on their border, with millions of starving and sick Koreans flooding their country. One writer compared North Korea to a starving dog. China throws a little their way, partly out of pity.

Partly because they don't want the highly successful SK economy next door.

[Negotiator]

The reality is China doesn't like NK, and vice versa.

I can only assume that you meant to write "China doesnt like South Korea", because obviously relations with North Korea have always been good.

Hmm after reading the whole posting, you really seem to believe that China would have bad relations with North Korea. Which is a strange thing to claim. Either way its wrong, China is North Koreas ally.

Partly because they don't want the highly successful SK economy next door.

Why would that be a problem ? Are you by any chance unaware that China is a very successful economy, too ?

Also South Korea has some very serious problems, too. For example their birthrates are completely in the cellar.

[Verv]

Kim Jong-eun stating this is not so impactful. Of course, as Kurt has correctly pointed out, it does mark a big shift in official NK dogma, and it also shows that he will likely not be cooperative at all if there is any attempt to reach some kind of opening of borders or trade. If you are really invested in this story, of course, this is very significant, but if you are not that invested in the peninsula, it's not that amazing because it's not a large departure from what we already know about the situation.

Each successive generation of South Koreans are less interested in reunification and view it as a burden. Of course, to many older Koreans this is a very essential topic, and one of my best Korean friends grandparents were all refugees from the North... But his grandparents are dead now, and even his parents passed away. The strong connection to the North is not something that is even felt in his home anymore.

Point being, even those who are young who have good reason to feel more invested in the topic of reunification see the gap widening between themselves and the North...

More Koreans today have close connections to places like Vietnam, the Philippines, and, of course, China and Japan, through frequent visits, vacations, and just coworkers and neighbors who go back to those places.

Perhaps the one thing that keeps this a very interesting proposal in the minds of Koreans is their own fertility crisis.

[AFAIK]

China opposes reunification because North Korea is a buffer between China and the US army, which completely smothers S Korea.

[Potemkin]

Why would Kim Jong Un ever want to reunify with South Korea?

The real question here is, why would Kim Jong Un ever want to stop pretending that he wants to peacefully reunify with South Korea?

This looks ominous.

[wat0n]

The real question here is, why would Kim Jong Un ever want to stop pretending that he wants to peacefully reunify with South Korea?

This looks ominous.

Indeed, this is a good point. The pretense is still useful to him.