Kim Jong Un calls S. Korea 'foreign country and apparent hostile country'

Seoul, Oct 18 (IANS) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has referred to South Korea as "a foreign country and an apparent hostile country", warning that physical force will be used if North Korea's sovereignty is violated, state media reported on Friday.

The remarks were made during his inspection of the headquarters of the 2nd Corps of the Korean People's Army on Thursday, two days after Pyongyang blew up roads and railways connected to South Korea that were once considered key symbols of inter-Korean reconciliation, Yonhap news agency reported.

"He stressed that our army should keep in mind once again the stark fact that the ROK is a foreign country and an apparent hostile country," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

It is widely speculated that Pyongyang has recently amended its constitution to define Seoul as a hostile state to align with Kim's directive to formally designate the South as an enemy, rather than a partner for reconciliation and reunification.

"And he added that it also means the last declaration that when the DPRK's sovereignty is violated by the ROK, a hostile country, its physical forces will be used unhesitatingly, without sticking to conditions any longer," the KCNA said.

DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Kim said that blocking roads and railways not only means physical closure but also the end of the evil relationship with Seoul and the complete removal of the unreasonable idea of reunification.

Kim was accompanied on his field inspection by Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, and No Kwang-chol, Minister of National Defence of the DPRK.

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