State media reported on October 18 that Kim Jong Un told North Korean soldiers that the South was a "foreign" country, saying Pyongyang had abandoned any idea of reunification.
Although the two Koreas are officially at war, they have long defined their ties as a "special relationship" rather than a state-to-state relationship aimed at eventual reunification.
However, in January, Kim called Seoul his country's "main enemy" and on October 18 described ties with the South as a "flawed relationship" that ended with the roads between them being undermined.
After months of planting new mines and beefing up border security, Pyongyang this week blew up roads and railways linking it to the South and said its constitution now defines the South as a “hostile” state. “Our army must once again remember that the stark fact is that [South Korea] is a foreign country and a clearly hostile country,” Kim told the 2nd Corps of the Korean People’s Army, state media reported.
The blasting of roads and railways this week means "the end of the vicious relationship with Seoul," Kim said, as well as the "complete elimination of the unreasonable idea of reunification."
However, in January, Kim called Seoul his country's "main enemy" and on October 18 described ties with the South as a "flawed relationship" that ended with the roads between them being undermined.
After months of planting new mines and beefing up border security, Pyongyang this week blew up roads and railways linking it to the South and said its constitution now defines the South as a “hostile” state. “Our army must once again remember that the stark fact is that [South Korea] is a foreign country and a clearly hostile country,” Kim told the 2nd Corps of the Korean People’s Army, state media reported.
The blasting of roads and railways this week means "the end of the vicious relationship with Seoul," Kim said, as well as the "complete elimination of the unreasonable idea of reunification."
North Korea's army would retaliate if necessary "against the hostile country, not its compatriots," he added, according to the official Korean Central News Agency KCNA) . Last week, the North held a key meeting of its puppet parliament, which many experts expected , the constitution will be revised. On October 17, Kim also reviewed “important documents” that outline North Korea’s “military action plans to deal with various scenarios,” KCNA reported.
