North Korea Declares 'Permanent Separation'... Government Says It Betrays Residents' Aspirations

Ministry of Unification "Condemning Anti-Unification and Anti-National Acts"

The government strongly condemned North Korea's declaration of military measures to 'thoroughly' separate the South and the North as an anti-unification and anti-national act that betrays the aspirations of our people and North Korean residents.

On the 10th, a Ministry of Unification official stated in a written briefing to the press corps, "We strongly condemn this as an anti-unification and anti-national act that betrays the aspirations of our people and North Korean residents for unification." He added, "The government will unwaveringly continue efforts to achieve peaceful unification based on the free democratic basic order proclaimed in the Constitution of the Republic of Korea and the '8.15 Unification Doctrine.'"

The General Staff of the Korean People's Army announced the previous day, "Construction is underway to completely sever roads and railways connected to the Republic of Korea in our territory and to fortify them with solid defensive fortifications," adding, "We are taking practical military measures to thoroughly separate the exercise of our republic's sovereignty and the territory of the Republic of Korea." Whether constitutional amendments such as the 'deletion of unification,' which were expected to be made at the Supreme People's Assembly, have been decided remains unconfirmed.

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea [Image source=Yonhap News]

In the announcement of the results of this Supreme People's Assembly and the notification of the 'fortification' by the Korean People's Army General Staff, North Korea revealed a more blatant Tongmibongnam (通美封南) attitude. While refusing and blocking dialogue with the South, it intends to communicate directly with the United States. North Korea notified only the United Nations Command of the fortification construction.

A Ministry of Unification official evaluated North Korea's notification of the DMZ construction plan only to the U.S. side as "(North Korea's) attempt to avoid contact with us in the continuation of hostile relations between the two countries as they claim."