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North Korea on Thursday (Oct 16) announced a major change in its constitution: South Korea is now defined as a "hostile" state. This marks the first confirmation by Pyongyang of legal changes the nation's premier Kim Jong Un ordered earlier this year. This move comes as the tensions between the two Koreas continue to rise, and as North Korea in recent days blew up roads and railways linking it to South Korea. Pyongyang, as per the official Korean Central News Agency, justified its actions as "an inevitable and legitimate measure taken in keeping with the requirement of the DPRK Constitution, which clearly defines the ROK as a hostile state." The destruction of these routes followed North Korean military vows to "permanently" seal the border. Also read | North Korea claims 1.4 million youth applied to the army in two days for 'sacred war' against South Korea On Tuesday, South Korea's military released footage showing North Korean forces using explosives to destroy roads and rail lines that had once symbolised inter-Korean cooperation. This comes after Kim Jong Un, in a January speech, labelled South Korea as North Korea’s "principal enemy," rejecting any interest in reunification. According to KCNA, the army's actions "to physically cut off the DPRK's roads and railways which lead to the ROK (South Korea)" are "part of the phased complete separation of its territory, where its sovereignty is exercised, from the ROK's territory". North Korea too announced that sections of key inter-Korean roads and railways had "been completely blocked through blasting." "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," it said. These developments follow a meeting of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, where the constitutional changes were reportedly finalised. However, the details of the amendments have not been fully disclosed. Also read | Zelensky accuses North Korea of sending troops to aid Russia, calls for more military support from 'partners' Before this, North and South Korea had, under a 1991 agreement, maintained a "special relationship" aimed at eventual reunification, rather than state-to-state relations. The escalating tensions have also included accusations from North Korea that Seoul is using drones to send anti-regime propaganda over the border. While South Korea initially denied these claims, it has since refrained from commenting further. North Korea has warned that the presence of another drone would be seen as "a declaration of war." (With inputs from agencies) "Words are, in my not-so-humble opin None
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