Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, declared on Monday that there will be no opportunity for engagement with South Korea, reaffirming his firm stance against any improvement in inter-Korean relations.
The party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported that Kim made this statement during an important speech at the 13th session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on September 20-21.
Kim emphasized that he wants to clarify its position regarding the relationship with South Korea, and they will not engage with them at all.
He stated that for decades, North Korea and South Korea have essentially existed as two separate nations in the international community. Further, it is an undeniable reality that the Korean Peninsula has been the arena for severe confrontations between the two most hostile countries on Earth, technically remaining in a state of war.
Kim continued that the classification of South Korea as a foreign and the most hostile nation is not a sudden judgment. He stated that it stems from their long history of antagonistic actions against the Republic. He blamed South Korea for the deterioration of inter-Korean relations.
He asserted that from a national interest perspective, they have no intention of unifying with a country that delegates its political and defense responsibilities to others. Further noting that the unification of two fundamentally opposed entities cannot occur without one ceasing to exist.
Regarding unification, he remarked that there is no historical precedent for two hostile nations unifying. He emphasized, why pursue a unification process that would require the disappearance of one side?
Kim declared that it will enshrine in the national law that North and South Korea are two distinct countries, separated by a border and incapable of unification. He referenced a directive from the January 2024 Supreme People’s Assembly that redefined inter-Korean relations and mandated constitutional amendments, noting that this directive has not yet been implemented.
Criticizing President Lee Jae-myung by name, Kim said that the Lee administration claims to seek relationship improvement and peace, but nothing has fundamentally changed. Further noting that their ambitions for absorptive unification exceed even the notorious anti-North policies of previous conservative regimes.
As evidence, he pointed out that while calling for improved relations, the South Korean government is simultaneously expanding aggressive military exercises, including nuclear strike drills. He noted the proposed 8.2% increase in military spending for next year, emphasizing that it far surpasses the confrontational policies of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
Kim concluded that the adversaries claim that North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities are strengthening as dialogue remains suspended. He noted that they call for talks, yet the current administration’s three-stage denuclearization theory is merely a rehash of previous leaders’ unsuccessful attempts to disarm them.