## North Korea Declares South as Hostile State, Escalates Tensions

In a significant escalation of regional tensions, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared South Korea a foreign and hostile nation. This announcement, reported by the state news agency KCNA, accompanied images of Kim conferring with senior military officials and examining a map marked "Seoul" at a command post, demonstrating the gravity of the situation.

The North Korean leader discussed deploying "offensive forces" against the South in retaliation for any actions perceived as infringements on North Korea's sovereignty. The report, however, did not provide specific details on the nature of these forces. This development follows an earlier report from KCNA that stated North Korea had amended its constitution to formally designate South Korea as a "hostile state."

Kim Jong Un's rhetoric against the South has intensified this year, with accusations that Seoul is collaborating with Washington to destabilize his regime. He has advocated for an unequivocal break from past policies of engagement and has actively dismissed unification efforts. This week, North Korea symbolically destroyed road and rail links with South Korea, actions that Kim described as marking the end of "the evil relationship with Seoul."

In response to Kim's aggressive posture, South Korean officials have warned that any harm inflicted on their citizens would mark the demise of Kim's regime. The North Korean leader made these remarks during a visit to the headquarters of the 2nd Corps of the North Korean army, a key military unit with brigades positioned to target the South.

During his visit, Kim emphasized the necessity of a stronger nuclear deterrent, citing the evolving South Korea-U.S. military alliance and their advanced military tactics. According to Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, Kim's comments aim to mentally prepare frontline soldiers, portraying South Korea and the U.S. as existential threats.

Tensions have further escalated since late May, when the North began sending trash-carrying balloons across the border, prompting South Korea to restart loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts. Recently, Pyongyang has accused South Korea's military of flying drones over its capital and has issued threats of severe repercussions.

Seoul has refrained from confirming whether such drone flights occurred, either by its military or civilians, to avoid being drawn into North Korea's narrative. Meanwhile, top military commanders from South Korea and the United States expressed concern over the security challenges posed by North Korea's threats during their annual Military Committee Meeting.

The commanders emphasized that North Korea's provocative actions and its growing military collaboration with Russia are destabilizing not only the Korean Peninsula but also global peace and security. In a related development, South Korea is set to begin its large-scale Hoguk military exercises on Sunday to enhance operational readiness.