Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for a revision of the country's Constitution, aiming to fortify the notion that South Korea is the "primary foe" and the "invariable principal enemy." This shift in rhetoric signifies a departure from decades-long policies seeking reconciliation and unification with South Korea.

President Yoon Suk Yeol responded firmly to Kim's hostile statements, vowing multiple punitive actions if North Korea provokes South Korea. In a parliamentary speech on Monday, Kim announced a significant change in relations, emphasizing the need to occupy and subjugate South Korea in the event of a war on the Korean Peninsula.

Kim highlighted the necessity of strengthening educational programs to instill the belief among North Koreans that South Korea is their primary adversary. This marks a departure from considering Seoul as a partner for reconciliation and unification, labeling such notions as "serious anachronistic mistakes."

Amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to North Korea's recent weapons tests, including a hypersonic missile launch, concerns have arisen regarding potential arms trade between North Korea and Russia. North Korea's foreign minister is currently in Moscow for talks, indicating deepening military cooperation.

Kim ordered the abolition of three agencies promoting inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation during a Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) session, stating that symbols of reconciliation should be eliminated. This includes physically severing cross-border railway tracks and dismantling a monument in Pyongyang commemorating Kim Il-sung's blueprint for federation system-based unification.

North Korea is expected to engage in provocative acts in the lead-up to South Korea's parliamentary elections in April and the US presidential election in November. Kim asserted that while North Korea does not seek war, it would respond if provoked, emphasizing its stance on maritime borders and issuing warnings against violations.

South Korea's unification ministry suggests that Kim's antagonistic messages reflect North Korea's concerns about regime stability and fears of unification by absorption. The ministry views these actions as a form of psychological warfare to deflect internal issues and shift responsibility for security tensions onto South Korea.

In response, President Yoon called for South Koreans to unite against North Korean propaganda, interpreting Kim's message as an acknowledgment of the regime's nature as an "anti-national and anti-historical group."