Kim Jong Un announces change of course towards South Korea

North Korea has been stoking tensions on the Korean peninsula for more than a year with an unprecedented series of missile tests. Politically, too, ruler Kim Jong Un is now announcing a fundamental change of course. He is no longer seeking reconciliation with the South.

North Korea's largely isolated leadership has put a serious damper on hopes of a rapprochement with South Korea in the new year. At the end of a party meeting lasting several days in the capital Pyongyang, ruler Kim Jong Un emphasized that his country is no longer seeking unification with its southern neighbor. "We should not make the mistake again of seeing them as a counterpart for reconciliation and unification, as South Korea has declared us its main enemy," Kim was quoted as saying by state media. At the same time, North Korea announced its intention to launch three more spy satellites into space in 2024.

North Korea is one of the most isolated countries in the world. It is subject to tough international sanctions due to its nuclear weapons and missile program. Pyongyang considers the USA and South Korea to be its most important enemies. At the usual end-of-year meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, which ended on Saturday, Kim also outlined his security policy goals for 2024.

"Relations between South and North Korea are no longer those between people of the same nation," said Kim. The relationship had developed into one between states in a state of war. The current situation requires his government to redefine its stance on unification policy. The Korean peninsula has been in a state of war under international law since the end of the fratricidal war between 1950 and 1953.

Hidden threat of war

"This is the first time that North Korea's leadership has publicly declared that it is impossible to achieve unification," said Park Young Ho, a North Korea expert and former researcher at the South Korean Institute for National Unification. Pyongyang had already repeatedly blamed the Seoul government for the deterioration in relations.

According to observers, Kim's statements also contained a veiled threat against the neighboring country. "Because of the ruthless measures taken by the enemy to invade our country, it is a fait accompli that war could break out on the Korean peninsula at any time," said Kim. North Korea's military must prepare to "pacify the entire territory of South Korea" - with nuclear bombs if necessary in the event of an attack, the ruler was quoted as saying.

Washington denies Pyongyang's accusation that it is preparing an attack together with its allies. The South Koreans fear that they will continue to experience troubled times in the new year. South Korea's secret service recently warned that North Korea could carry out new provocations ahead of the South Korean parliamentary elections in April and the presidential election in the USA in November.

Armament with intercontinental missiles

In addition to the expansion of its nuclear arsenal and the construction of military drones, North Korea has also reportedly named the launch of three more reconnaissance satellites as one of its most important tasks for 2024. North Korea must stick to its offensive hard line, Kim emphasized. In the reports, the launch of the first North Korean spy satellite in November was celebrated as a success. With its own military satellites, the country wants to be able to better observe the movements of the USA in particular.

The USA and its partners South Korea, Japan and Australia imposed new sanctions on North Korea because of the launch. They accused Pyongyang of using technologies related to its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program. North Korea's development of ICBMs, whose range exceeds 5500 kilometers, is primarily directed against the nuclear power USA. The conflict over North Korea's weapons programs has once again become much more explosive. Following an unprecedented series of missile tests last year, the country tested missiles, including ICBMs, several times again in 2023. It had also enshrined nuclear armament in its constitution. The USA and South Korea have expanded their military cooperation, including joint maneuvers.