North Korea defines South Korea as hostile state in constitution

North Korea has defined South Korea as a “hostile state” in its constitution, driving a wedge deeper between the nations after Pyongyang stoked tensions earlier this week by blowing up its sections of roads that linked it to the southern part of the peninsula.

The new label was revealed by state media Thursday in a dispatch that also confirmed the nation had blasted roads and railways connecting it to the South as part of a campaign to completely separate its territory from its neighbor.

“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,” the official Korean Central News Agency said, referring to the two countries by the initials of their official names.

With the move, Pyongyang distances itself further from any attempts to advance a peaceful reunification process as it responds to the hardline taken by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been ramping up hostilities between the two neighbors, declaring that Seoul was no longer a partner for reconciliation.

The new labeling follows a meeting of North Korea’s rubber-stamp legislature last week where it revised the constitution. North Korea did not disclose at the time how it had altered the document.

Kim has also called for his nation to assert its authority over a contested nautical border, but it was not immediately clear if that stance was reflected in the latest revisions.

The area around the Yellow Sea islands has been one of the few places to have seen armed conflict between the two Koreas since the end of their 1950-1953 war. The incidents raise concerns that an exchange of fire could quickly escalate.

Tensions along the border have been on the rise in recent weeks after North Korea accused Seoul of flying drones over Pyongyang in what it called a “war provocation.” South Korea hasn’t said whether it sent drones across the border.