No more link: A section of the road and rail that connects with South Korea is blasted to completely block all links to Seoul at an undisclosed location along North Korea’s southern border area. — Reuters
Pyongyang has confirmed that its recently revised constitution defines South Korea as “a hostile state” for the first time, two days after it blew up front-line road and rail links that once connected the country with the South.
The back-to-back developments indicate North Korea is intent on escalating animosities against South Korea, increasing the danger of possible clashes at their tense border areas, though it’s highly unlikely for the North to launch full-scale attacks in the face of more superior US and South Korea forces.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said yesterday that its recent demolition of parts of the northern sections of the inter-Korean road and rail links was “an inevitable and legitimate measure taken in keeping with the requirement of the DPRK constitution which clearly defines the ROK as a hostile state”.
DPRK stands for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name, while ROK stands for Republic of Korea, the South’s formal name.
Seoul’s Unification Ministry condemned North Korea’s constitutional reference to South Korea as a hostile state, calling it “an anti-unification, anti-national act”.
It said Seoul will sternly respond to any provocations by North Korea and unwaveringly push for a peaceful Korean unification based on the basic principle of freedom and democracy.
North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament met for two days last week to rewrite the constitution but state media hadn’t provided many details about the session.
Leader Kim Jong-un had earlier called for the constitutional change at that parliamentary meeting to designate South Korea as the country’s main enemy, remove the goal of a peaceful Korean unification and define North Korea’s sovereign, territorial sphere. — AP
