North Korea abolishes several authorities that were responsible for dialogue and cooperation with Seoul. The ruler Kim no longer sees a path to reconciliation. Instead, Pyongyang wants to declare South Korea “enemy number one.”
North Korea has dissolved its authorities responsible for dialogue and cooperation with South Korea. This was reported by the state news agency KCNA. The decision was made the day before in a session of the North Korean parliament. The Supreme People’s Assembly later issued a statement on the matter.
North and South Korea are now stuck in an “acute confrontation,” it said. It is a serious mistake for Pyongyang to view Seoul as a diplomatic partner. “The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, the National Economic Cooperation Office and the International Tourism Authority at (Kumgangsan Diamond Mountains) – tools that existed for (North-South) dialogue, negotiations and cooperation have been abolished,” the People’s Assembly announced .
The leadership will take “practical steps” to enforce the decision.
Kim rules out reconciliation
According to KCNA, ruler Kim Jong Un gave a speech before the People’s Assembly in which he blamed South Korea and the USA for growing tensions in the region. The news agency quoted him as saying that it had become impossible for Pyongyang to strive for reconciliation and peaceful reunification with the South.
He also instructed the effectively powerless parliament to change North Korea’s constitution at the next session and now define South Korea as North Korea’s “main enemy”.
Initiatives have been on hold for years
The National Committee for Peaceful Reunification has been North Korea’s main agency for inter-Korean affairs since its creation in 1961. The Kumgangsan Economic Cooperation Office and International Tourism Authority were established to initiate joint trade and tourism projects between the two Koreas during a brief period of rapprochement in the 1990s.
However, the initiatives have been on hold for years as relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have cooled sharply due to North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. The joint projects are also banned under UN Security Council resolutions against North Korea, which have been tightened since 2016 because of the isolated country’s nuclear and missile program.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula are at their highest in years. North Korea has stepped up its weapons tests in recent months, to which the USA and South Korea have responded by expanding their joint maneuvers. In addition, Washington and Seoul have deepened their nuclear deterrence strategies.