Kim Jong-un Labels South Korea "Most Hostile" Nation, Vows Nuclear Response

Kim also said the North's constitution was revised to reflect the necessary demands of national development, delivering a speech Monday, the second and final day of the first session of the newly elected 15th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

North Korea "officially recognised" South Korea "as the most hostile nation and will thoroughly ignore and disregard it through the clearest remarks and actions," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA.

He also warned of "merciless" consequences against South Korea if Seoul carries out any acts that provoke North Korea.

The KCNA reported that North Korea had discussed a revision of its constitution, but it was not known whether such a revision officially recognised South Korea as a "hostile state."

North Korea's constitution calls for the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas, and Pyongyang had been expected to amend the provision after Kim ordered a legal revision in 2024 to define Seoul as "the No. 1 hostile country."

North Korea has since adopted a hostile stance toward Seoul, repeatedly ruling out the possibility of inter-Korean engagement.

Meanwhile, Kim accused the United States of carrying out terrorism and invasions in many parts of the world, apparently referring to its ongoing war with Iran, though he did not directly mention US President Donald Trump.

"Dignity, interest and the final victory of a country can only be guaranteed by the most powerful might," the KCNA quoted Kim as saying.

"Whether the enemies choose confrontation or peaceful coexistence, that's their choice, and we are ready to respond to any choice."

He vowed to further advance North Korea's "defensive nuclear deterrence" and maintain a "prompt and precise" response posture for its nuclear forces to address "strategic threats" to national and regional security.

North Korea "will continue to solidify its status as a nuclear weapons state ... while aggressively staging campaigns to crush any provocations by hostile forces," Kim said.

In a parliamentary meeting in 2022, North Korea enacted a new nuclear law authorising the preemptive use of nuclear arms, calling its status of a nuclear state "irreversible."

Experts assessed that North Korea, while not confirming details, might have codified its new definition of Seoul in the constitutional revision and that the omission of details may be intended to maintain "strategic ambiguity" in case of changes in security conditions.

Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, referred to Kim's expression of "official recognition" of Seoul as the most hostile country, saying it may signify a revision of fundamental norms.

Kim In-tae, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Strategy, also said such an expression by Kim, along with other details, appears to indicate a constitutional revision reflecting the new definition of inter-Korean relations, Yonhap news agency reported.

At Monday's parliamentary meeting, the SPA increased this year's state budget by 5.8 per cent from a year earlier, the largest increase in recent years.

Kim vows to "financially guarantee the normal operation of the country and the implementation of policies for the people by increasing state revenues."

An official at Seoul's unification ministry took note of Kim's remarks that his country is prepared for both confrontation and peaceful coexistence, assessing that while he continued to criticise Washington, the criticism appeared limited in intensity.

The official reaffirmed the government's policy of seeking to improve ties with North Korea, vowing continued efforts to that end.

- IANS