Kim Jong-un's increasingly hostile rhetoric toward South Korea is crossing
the red line. Recently, he defined the inter-Korean relationship not as that of kindred
races but as one between two warring states. He also declared the South as the
'permanent archenemy' that the North should occupy and annex. While selling out the
the current Northern Limit Line(NLL) as illegal demarcation line, he said he would consider
any violation of the 'Sea Border on the West Sea' claimed by the North as a serious
provocation. Kim's intention can be boiled down into three points: CD strengthening internal
unity by inspiring hostility against the South, ® promoting internal discord within
the South and ® justifying his nuclear prowess and provocations against South Korea.
In response, South Korea needs CD unmistakable understanding of the anti-unification
nature of Kim's provocative words and behavior, ® overwhelming response capabilities
including self-defense capaciity and robust ROK-U.S. alliance, and ® psychological
warfare leading North Koreans to democratization.