October 18, 2024
SEOUL – After a week of silence following its parliamentary session, North Korea on Thursday effectively claimed to have revised its constitution to declare South Korea a “hostile state” while reporting on the severance of inter-Korean routes.
The Rodong Sinmun, the most widely circulated newspaper in North Korea, reported Thursday on its front page that the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army on Tuesday implemented measures to sever roads and railways connecting the two Koreas along the eastern and western sections of the southern border. This action is part of a phased plan aimed at fully separating North Korean territory from that of South Korea.
More notably, North Korean state media characterized the severance as a follow-up action aligned with the constitution.
“This is an inevitable and legitimate measure taken in keeping with the requirement of the DPRK Constitution which clearly defines the ROK as a hostile state, and due to the serious security circumstances running to the unpredictable brink of war owing to the grave political and military provocations of the hostile forces,” the English-language report read.
ROK and DPRK refer to the official names of South and North Korea, the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, respectively.
However, North Korean state media did not elaborate on the details of the constitutional revisions.
Unusual move
This somewhat belated disclosure is particularly noteworthy given that North Korean state media’s October 9 report on the October 7-8 Supreme People’s Assembly session omitted any mention of antiunification and “two Koreas” clauses in the newly approved constitutional amendments, despite confirming that amendments were addressed.
The outcome was unexpected in Seoul, as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s directive at the January SPA session had explicitly sought to formalize the two Koreas as “hostile” separate states, define territorial boundaries and erase the legacy of unification through these constitutional revisions.
Against this backdrop, Thursday’s announcement has raised questions about the reasons and intent behind North Korea’s unusually slow and gradual approach to both internally and externally revealing its constitutional amendment — a marked departure from past practices.
“There is no precedent for the supreme leader explicitly announcing in advance the need to revise the constitution, as we have seen this time. Therefore, this situation cannot be compared to past practices or precedents,” a senior Unification Ministry official said Thursday, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Source of dilemma
Cha Du-hyeogn, director of the Center for Foreign Policy and National Security at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, said the brief and belated statement highlights the internal dilemma Kim Jong-un faces in pushing his definition of the two Koreas as hostile states along with inter-Korean severance.
“If North Korea explicitly defines the relationship between the two Koreas as hostile in its constitution, several philosophical uncertainties could arise. One key issue is that the role and duty of the supreme leader (or Suryong) could become highly ambiguous,” Cha told The Korea Herald.
The existence of Suryong is intrinsically tied to the goal of completing the revolution for the unification of the Korean Peninsula. Without this objective, the leader’s role could be called into question.
Similarly, North Korea has long justified public sacrifices by emphasizing unification as its ultimate goal. However, the recent shift to a self-reliance narrative undermines this reasoning, making it more difficult to rally public support and justify austerity measures without the broader revolutionary objective.
Cha further noted that citizens may question why the regime is now abruptly severing ties with the South, given their long-standing adversarial relationship. This could fuel speculation within North Korea that the regime’s actions reflect a lack of confidence.
“In short, North Korea faces a dilemma: it must emphasize its hostile relationship with South Korea, yet doing so reveals a range of logical contradictions. This is likely why the regime is withholding detailed information (on constitutional amendments), as further disclosure would make these contradictions more evident,” Cha said.
But Cha also noted that the constitution serves as a key vehicle for legitimizing Kim’s narrative of the two hostile Koreas, despite its inherent contradictions.
“As a result, in discussing the recent severance between South and North Korea, North Korea has no choice but to frame the situation in terms of hostility, casting the South as the enemy. To reinforce this narrative, the regime inevitably turns to the constitution as a tool,” Cha added.
Garnering support
Kwak Gil-sup, head of One Korea Center, a website specializing in North Korean affairs, said the primary reason Kim opted for a phased approach in announcing the constitutional revisions, accompanied by actions such as the destruction of key inter-Korean routes, is that the regime has not fully convinced the North Korean people.
“In my opinion, the primary reason Kim Jong-un has opted for a phased approach to unveiling constitutional amendments, rather than a sudden and drastic process, is to gradually build public support. The regime seems to be meticulously laying the groundwork to ensure the population is persuaded,” Kwak, a former analyst at the National Intelligence Service, told The Korea Herald.
Kwak pointed out that for the past nine months, there have been no ideological education campaigns or public mobilization events, including mass rallies, aimed at fostering internal unity to achieve the objectives of Kim’s directive. Kim ordered the enshrinement of two separate states at January’s session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly.
“Instead of immediately disclosing the constitutional revisions, the regime is first implementing physical measures. It appears to be waiting for the right moment to announce these changes, likely during the launch of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly, while adhering to a phased, step-by-step approach,” Kwak said.
Oh Gyeong-seob, a research fellow at the government-funded Korea Institute for National Unification, believes “North Korea appears to be actively leveraging the hostile relationship between the two countries,” as evidenced by incidents such as its claims of drone infiltration and the dramatic destruction of key inter-Korean roads and railways along the Gyeongui and Donghae lines.
Since Friday, North Korea has accused South Korea of sending drones into Pyongyang’s airspace on three separate occasions — Oct. 3, 9 and 10 — under the cover of night, allegedly scattering large volumes of anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets.
Simultaneously, North Korean state media has run articles stoking anti-South Korea sentiment targeting internal audiences.
“Domestically, the North Korean regime continuously showcases the hostile relationship between the two countries to its citizens through actions, with the goal to foster animosity toward South Korea and suppress and eradicate any pro-South Korean sentiments within the population,” Oh told The Korea Herald.
External messages
Oh stated that North Korea’s disclosure of its constitutional shift toward a hostile relationship with South Korea also serves external purposes.
“The announcement of constitutional revisions also serves to externally escalate military tensions, indicating to the US and South Korea that these tensions are steadily increasing. It reinforces the message that North Korea intends to maintain its hostile relationship with South Korea,” Oh said. “North Korea also seeks to convey that easing or resolving these military tensions will ultimately require compromise on the nuclear issue. In doing so, it signals that concessions from the US or South Korea are essential to achieving such an agreement.”
Kwak noted that North Korea seems to be carefully pacing its actions, especially in light of the forthcoming US presidential election.
“It’s likely that North Korea is strategically timing its moves, taking into account the US administration’s stance and broader global dynamics,” Kwak said. “This suggests the regime is balancing both domestic and international considerations, potentially aiming to formalize its constitutional amendments in the coming year.”