NKorea: Reunification With South No Longer Possible

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Facts

  • North Korea has abolished three key government agencies promoting reconciliation and reunification with South Korea. The North's leader Kim Jong Un told the Supreme People's Assembly that reconciliation was no longer possible, Pyongyang's state media reported on Tuesday.1
  • The decision adopted by the country's parliament affects the Committee for Peaceful Reunification, the National Economic Cooperation Bureau, and the Mount Kumgang International Tourism Administration, which existed for North-South dialogue, negotiations, and cooperation.2
  • Kim further called for a constitutional amendment to change the status of South Korea to a separate state and its 'number one enemy' on Monday, adding that the constitution should also consider the issue of annexing the neighboring country in case of war — which he claimed his country doesn't want but has no intention to avoid.3
  • On Tuesday, South Korea’s Pres. Yoon Suk Yeol claimed that such comments reflect the reclusive regime's 'anti-national and anti-historical' nature, warning that there would be retaliation 'with multiple times greater strength' if Pyongyang should provoke Seoul.4
  • This comes as Kim openly labeled the South as the North's 'principal enemy' and a 'hostile nation' last week, calling for the reinforcement of its 'self-defensive national defense capabilities' and the enhancement of its 'nuclear deterrence against war.'5
  • Meanwhile, on Monday, Pyongyang claimed to have successfully conducted its first-ever test of a solid-fueled intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), allegedly equipped with a maneuverable hypersonic warhead. Days earlier, North Korea launched live-fire drills near the maritime border with South Korea, leading to counter exercises and evacuation orders.6

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2DW, 3The Japan Times, 4Korea Times, 5Radio Free Asia and 6The Guardian.

Narratives

  • Anti-North Korea Narrative, as provided by The Guardian. By abolishing key unification bodies and labeling South Korea a hostile nation, the Kim regime is yet again revealing its true nature. Kim's speech marks a dramatic shift from his predecessors' stance, that always aimed for reconciliation and reunification despite all bilateral tensions. By portraying the US and South Korea as aggressive enemies, the North's regime is trying to consolidate its rule and legitimize its power, with recent missile tests indicating that Kim has decided to resort to war. The US and the rules-based order must now increase pressure on Pyongyang to prevent this from happening.
  • Pro-North Korea narrative, as provided by NK News. Kim's latest statements are understandable from a North Korean perspective, as it is the South that refuses to recognize the DPRK's legitimacy by openly stipulating in its constitution that its territorial sovereignty covers the entire Korean peninsula. Added to this is the US and its regional vassals' constant saber-rattling, which leaves Pyongyang no choice but to strengthen its self-defense capabilities. The North will never unleash a war unprovoked, but should the US regime and Seoul decide to threaten North Korea's existence, the result will be their existential defeat.

Predictions