North Korea declares South ‘most hostile state,’ pushes two-state reality

North Korea’s designation of South Korea as “the most hostile state” signals the effective end of the “provisional special relationships” framework that has governed inter-Korean ties since 1991, experts said, urging Seoul to adapt to Pyongyang’s fundamentally redefined stance and recalibrate its approach to reflect a two-state reality. “Up until now, the North has defined the relationship with the South based on the understanding that we are the same people, seeking unification. But upon the North’s designation of the South as an independent and ‘hostile’ nation, the two countries can no longer make an agreement under the provincial special relationships written on the 1991 Basic Agreement,” Koh Yu-hwan, professor emeritus of North Korean studies at Dongguk University, told The Korea Times Tuesday. Koh said it remains unclear whether the term “hostile state” will appear in the North’s revised constitution, but he expects the document to delete language defining the two Koreas as one. “That is one of the reasons the unification ministry of South Korea had n

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