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North's Kim Jong-un formally calls South Korea the 'most hostile state'

Published: 24 Mar. 2026, 09:42

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks at the second day of the Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang on March 23 in this photo carried by the Korean Central News Agency on March 24. [YONHAP]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un formally called South Korea the “most hostile state” and warned of merciless consequences if provoked, the North's state media reported on Tuesday.

South Korea “is officially designated as the most hostile nation,” the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted Kim as saying on the second and final day of the first session of the Supreme People's Assembly.

Kim said South Korea will pay the price for any provocation if Seoul provokes Pyongyang, according to the KCNA.

The KCNA reported that North Korea had discussed a revision of its constitution, but it was not known whether such a revision officially recognized South Korea as a “hostile state.”

Kim also said his country's status as a nuclear weapons state will never change, vowing to make efforts to fight “hostile forces” against Pyongyang.

Kim accused the United States of carrying out terrorism and invasions in many parts of the world, apparently referring to its ongoing war with Iran, though he did not explicitly mention U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Dignity, interest and the final victory of a country can only be guaranteed by the most powerful might,” the KCNA quoted Kim as saying. “Whether the enemies choose confrontation or peaceful coexistence, that's their choice, and we are ready to respond to any choice.”

He vowed to further advance North Korea's “defensive nuclear deterrence” and maintain a “prompt and precise” response posture for its nuclear forces to address “strategic threats” to national and regional security.

Kim also signaled a shift toward a more assertive diplomatic approach, saying the country should move away from “outdated” standards and past practices and adopt strategies that reflect its current stature.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, shakes hands with Choe Ryong-hae, the former chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA), at the second day of North Korea's 14th SPA at Pyongyang on March 23 in this photo carried by the Korean Central News Agency on March 24. [YONHAP]

His remarks came after state media reported Monday that Kim was reappointed as president of the State Affairs Commission, the North's top policymaking organ.

At this year's Workers' Party Congress, a high-profile political event held to establish the nation's development plan over the next five years, Kim declared South Korea as its “most hostile enemy” and pledged to increase the North's nuclear arsenal.

BY KIM JU-YEON, YONHAP [[email protected]]