North Korea defines South as ‘hostile state’ after blowing up key road, rail links

North Korea has officially declared South Korea as “a hostile state” in its revised constitution, a move that comes just two days after Pyongyang blew up the key road and railway links with its neighbor.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday that the military destroyed the 60-meter-long stretches of road and rail along the east and west sections of the inter-Korean border “as part of the phased complete separation” of its territory from South Korea on Tuesday.

North Korea said it was “an inevitable and legitimate measure taken in keeping with the requirement of the DPRK constitution which clearly defines the ROK as a hostile state,” using the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and that of South Korea, the Republic of Korea, respectively.

A spokesman from the Ministry of Defense said that Pyongyang plans to implement additional steps to “permanently fortify” its border, according to the KCNA, while not addressing any other constitutional amendments mandated by leader Kim Jong-un.

In response, South Korea strongly condemned North Korea’s constitutional reference as a hostile state, labeling the move as “an anti-unification, anti-national act,” South Korea’s Unification Ministry, which handles ties with the North, said.