SEOUL: North Korea has dismantled a key monument in its capital that represented the objective of reconciliation with South Korea on the orders of leader Kim Jong Un, who last week referred to South Korea as a “primary foe” and declared that unification was no longer conceivable.
According to NK News, an online organization that monitors North Korea, satellite images of Pyongyang on Tuesday revealed that the monument, an arch symbolizing dreams for Korean reunification and completed following a key inter-Korea summit in 2000, was no longer there.
Reuters could not independently confirm that the monument, known informally as the Arch of Reunification, had been dismantled.
Kim referred to the statue as a “eyesore” during an address at the Supreme People’s Assembly on January 15, and ordered that the constitution be modified to state that the South was a “primary foe and invariable principal enemy,” according to official media.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have risen as a result of increased military manoeuvres by the South Korean and US militaries in reaction to North Korea’s weapons testing, which stated that it was preparing for a “nuclear war” with its adversaries.
According to South Korean government records, the arch, formally known as the Monument to the Three Charters for National Reunification, was 30 meters tall and represented the three charters of self-reliance, peace, and national collaboration.
When asked if North Korea appeared to be modifying its stance on conflict with the South, White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday, “We’re watching this very, very closely.”
He went on to say, “I would just tell you that we remain confident that the defensive posture that we’re maintaining on the peninsula is appropriate to the risk.”
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who took office in 2022, has adopted a firm line against North Korea, calling for immediate and harsh reactions to the country’s military acts, which have heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula.
North Korea has threatened to “wipe out” South Korea if attacked by South and US soldiers. Late last year, the North stated that a crucial deal made in 2018 with the South to de-escalate military tensions was no longer legitimate.
Following Kim’s statement last week, the North’s assembly disbanded major government agencies that had been critical to decades of cooperation with Seoul.
