North Korea’s Constitution now designates its southern neighbor as a “hostile state”

The announcement of this constitutional change comes after the dynamiting of the only two roads and railways connecting the two countries.

A new stage has been reached in tensions between Pyongyang and Seoul. North Korea announced Thursday October 17 that its Constitution now designates South Korea as a “hostile state”. “This is an inevitable and legitimate measure, taken in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution”detailed the official KCNA agency.

The announcement of this constitutional change comes after the dynamiting of the only two roads and railways connecting the two countries. These lines of communication, briefly reopened since the end of the Korean War in 1953 during rare periods of relaxation, “were completely blocked by means of explosions”said KCNA, confirming information released Tuesday by Seoul.

This is the first time that Pyongyang has confirmed the inclusion in its Constitution of this status for South Korea, a measure announced by Kim Jong-un in January before the Supreme National Assembly. Previously, under an inter-Korean agreement in 1991, relations with Seoul were defined as “special relationship” as part of a reunification process, and not as a state-to-state relationship.

South Korea had already been designated in January as the “main enemy”. Beijing called Thursday for a return to “political settlement process” to resolve tensions on the Korean peninsula.