North Korea dictator Kim Jong Un has proposed rewriting the nation's constitution to label South Korea as its "primary enemy state" and annex it should war erupt in the peninsula.
The move would break from decades of policy under Kim's father and grandfather, who sought to peacefully unify the country, even while flexing their military might as a signal of their readiness for war, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
The change would come at a time when the region has seen a rise in militarization, with South Korea striking military deals with the U.S. and Japan, China making threats of invading Taiwan, and North Korea test-firing dozens of ballistic and cruise missiles in the past year off its coast.
"We can specify in our constitution the issue of completely occupying, subjugating, and reclaiming the ROK [Republic of Korea] and annex it as a part of the territory of our Republic in case a war breaks out on the Korean peninsula," Kim, 40, said during a speech Monday, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. "It is right to specify in the relevant paragraph of our constitution … that education should be intensified to instill into [the North Korean people] the firm idea that ROK is their primary enemy state and an invariable principal enemy.
"Besides, it is necessary to delete such expressions in the constitution as 'northern half' and 'independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity.'"
Kim also vowed to permanently sever all inter-Korean communication channels, including cutting off railway tracks on the North Korean side, and urged for the removal of the "Monument to the Three Charters for National Reunification." The monument, located at the entrance to Pyongyang, commemorates the reunification principles established by the regime's founder and Kim's grandfather, Kim Il Sung.
South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol reiterated his commitment to an overwhelming response to North Korean threats, the Korean Times reported.
"The North Korean authorities have characterized inter-Korean relations not as ties between nations sharing homogeneous backgrounds, but as relations between hostile nations," Yoon said early Tuesday during a cabinet meeting held hours before Kim's speech was published. "This acknowledgment reflects the regime's nature as an anti-national and anti-historical group.
"If North Korea provokes, we will retaliate with multiple times greater strength."
A State Department spokesperson expressed disappointment in Kim's remarks, the Yonhap News Agency reported.
"We are disappointed by the DPRK's [North Korea's] continued rejection of dialogue and the escalation of its hostile rhetoric toward the ROK," the spokesperson said. "We believe inter-Korean cooperation is vital to achieving lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula."
The official also said the U.S. harbors no hostile intent toward North Korea.
"We continue to consult closely with the Republic of Korea, Japan, and other allies and partners about how to best engage the DPRK, deter aggression, and coordinate international responses to the DPRK's ongoing and repeated violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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