Ties between North and South Korea have reached alarming fragility after Pyongyang rewrote its constitution to officially designate the South a “hostile state.” North Korea claims tensions have now reached an unpredictable turning point of conflict, a matter that has been made clear over North Korean state media; as it stands, the two states can no longer coexist without posing a threat to regional stability.
Leader Kim Jong-Un delivered a speech on the state’s newly revised constitution, highlighting the clause that South Korea is now considered a principal adversary. This is the first time such a clause has been included in North Korea’s legal framework, and experts speculate that the situation risks shattering any remaining hope for unification or reconciliation.
A Shift in Plans
Since the Cold War, the Korean peninsula has been a symbol of division between hegemonic powers, in a precarious balancing act. Although North Korea is recognized for its belligerence, its historical stance was one of eventual unification. Nonetheless, with Kim Jong-Un’s recent claims, the North is now moving towards abandoning this goal. Furthermore, a speech held earlier this month by the leader’s powerful sister, Kim Yo-Jong, in which she called a military parade in Seoul for its Armed Forces Day a “clown show,” amplified the nation’s views of the South.
The revision of the constitution has been interpreted as a response to what Pyongyang stated was a South Korean drone incursion over the capital. Analysts say that division benefits North Korea’s leader as it could prove to become his survival strategy, which aligns with the nation’s broader strategic focus on nuclear deterrence with a continuously expanding weapons program.
Military Escalation and Regional Fallout
In terms of military escalation, North Korean state TV has portrayed students joining mass rallies to enrol in the nation’s military as tensions rise with the South, and it is estimated that 1.4 million have enlisted in the past weeks. Additionally, the country has put eight fully armed artillery units at the border on standby to open fire.
However, the timing of North Korea’s constitutional revision coincides with South Korea’s increased military cooperation with the United States; with the U.S. on the brink of polarising elections, the North Korean capital has interpreted the joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korean forces as rehearsals for invasion. This has created a pretext for the nation to threaten the South with garbage balloons and missile launches, hindering peace attempts on the peninsula.
In response, South Korea, under the conservative leadership of President Yoon Suk-Yeol, has strengthened its stance against the North. The Southern government has vowed to increase defence against the North amidst the spontaneous change in the North’s constitution. Expressing concern, the South fears an outbreak of destabilising and devastating war, which would threaten either nation’s security.
The Ukraine-Russia Conflict: North Korea’s Relations
Adding to the complexity of this equation, North Korea has officially pronounced its involvement in the Russian invasion; sending North Korean troops and weaponry to Ukraine has further posed incessant concerns in the South as this move marks a significant escalation in North Korea’s involvement in global conflicts. In addition, Pyongyang’s decision to send military personnel has confirmed its active alliance with Moscow.
The implications of North Korea’s direct involvement in the Ukraine war extend beyond the immediate conflict. Analysts fear that North Korea’s strengthened relationship with Russia may embolden Pyongyang to adopt a more aggressive stance on the Korean Peninsula, leveraging Moscow’s support to counter pressure from South Korea and its Western allies.
Reactions and Diplomacy
In an effort to dismiss North Korea’s claims, the South has aligned with its military allies, the U.S. and Japan. In a diplomatic meeting between these three powers, South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-Kyun stated: “We have strongly condemned North Korea for its continued nuclear and missile threats, for blowing up the inter-Korean roads and railways, for blocking the border of the Southern side, and for claiming that South Korea has sent a drone to infiltrate North Korea while increasing tension between the two countries.”
Seoul is now braced for North Korean retaliation as one of Asia’s most intractable conflicts teeters on the edge of war. With the recent escalation of North Korean troops being sent to Ukraine, the deployment has received sharp condemnation from Western nations, further isolating the belligerent state in the global sphere while locking its ties with Russia.
Featured Image courtesy of Moab Republic
