Kim Jong-un Labels South Korea as Main Enemy

On the 10th, North Korean chairman Kim Jong Un labeled South Korea as an ‘enemy’, threatening, “If they threaten North Korea, we will destroy South Korea.”The Korean Central News Agency reported that Chairman Kim, while providing on-site guidance at an important military factory on the 8th and 9th, said, “We will not unilaterally decide on a major change in power on the Korean Peninsula, but we have no intention of avoiding war either.”

Chairman Kim warned, “If South Korea dares to contemplate using force against our country, or threatens our sovereignty and safety, we will not hesitate to mobilize all means and capabilities at our disposal to destroy South Korea if such an opportunity arises.”

He emphasized that “what we should prioritize most in our relationship with hostile countries that are intensifying their confrontational posture and military power against us is firstly and secondly, strengthening our self-defensive national defense power and nuclear war deterrent.”

He also emphasized that the inter-Korean relationship is ‘two hostile nations’ as mentioned at the end of last year’s plenary session. He said, “The historic time has come to regulate South Korea, which has pursued a vicious confrontation for nearly 80 years trying to overthrow our regime and system, as the most hostile country of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”

It is unusual for Chairman Kim to directly label our country as an ‘enemy’. In his speech at the National Defense Development Exhibition in October 2021, he stated, “Our main enemy is war itself, not South Korea, the United States, or any specific country or force.”

Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik said he would develop security cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan about Chairman Kim’s remarks.

Minister Shin, attending the 12th Korea National Strategy Institute-Brookings Institution International Conference held at The Plaza Hotel Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul, said, “The Korea-US alliance and Korea-US-Japan cooperation are exemplary cases of international solidarity aiming for universal human values and rules-based international order,” and “We will further develop security cooperation in various fields among the three countries of Korea, the United States, and Japan.”

He continued, “Since the ‘Camp David Declaration’ among the leaders of Korea, the United States, and Japan, security cooperation among the three countries has become even stronger,” and “We are accelerating security cooperation through the operation of a real-time sharing system for North Korean missile warning information and tripartite training among Korea, the United States, and Japan.”

By. Yoon Sun Choi