North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has officially terminated efforts for reunification with South Korea, citing the nation’s bolstered defense capabilities and strengthened ties with Russia. The announcement, made through the state-run Korean Central News Agency, emphasized Pyongyang’s view of Seoul as its primary adversary, attributing the decision to Seoul’s strengthened joint military exercises with the United States and Japan.
In a recent documentary, Kim Jong Un inspected the latest military hardware, including clones of two U.S. unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from 2023 — the Saetbyul-4 and Saetbyul-9. Despite their visual resemblance to the U.S. Air Force’s RQ-Q Global Hawk and MQ-9 Reaper, analysts have suggested the North Korean UAVs may not match the capabilities of their American counterparts.
On Monday, Jan. 15, North Korean state-run media reported a successful test-firing of a ballistic missile carrying a hypersonic warhead. The ongoing development of defense capabilities aligns with North Korea’s decision to discontinue reunification efforts with South Korea.
Additionally, North Korea’s parliament is set to abolish several agencies dedicated to fostering inter-Korean reconciliation. Kim clarified that while North Korea has no intentions of initiating a war, it also harbors no intentions of avoiding one.