Page 73 - Trilateral Korea Japan U.S. Cooperation

Will North Korea’s Anti-Unification or Division-Consolidation
Policy Result in Peace?

Recently, North Korea started calling South Korea by
its official name––the Republic of Korea (ROK)––and
announced that it would no longer pursue unification. In
January 2024, Kim Jong-Un made several points in his
speech: (1) he would recognize the existence of “two states”
on the Korean Peninsula; (2) South Korea had adopted a
hostile policy of “all-out confrontation” and was aiming for
the collapse of the North Korean government and unification
by absorption; (3) the North should block channels of north-
south communication and cut off railway tracks, and (4) North
Korea’s military force was a means of self-defense instead of
“reunification by force.” Kim’s message was defensive overall.
His statement, “The enemies should never misjudge this as
our weakness,” reinforced the impression of his defensiveness.

While making those defensive remarks, Kim also made
some remarks that could be construed as suggestions to raise
tension on the Korean Peninsula. He said that: (1) he intended
to revise North Korea’s constitution and define its territorial
land, air, and waters; (2) the “illegal” Northern Limit Line
(NLL) would not be tolerated, (3) any violation of North
Korean territory would be considered a war provocation, and
(4) if a war broke out on the Korean Peninsula, the North
would occupy, subjugate, and reclaim the southern part of the
peninsula and annex it as a part of its territory.

72 Section I : North Korea-China Relations: How and Why Does Beijing Protect and Empower Pyongyang?