SEOUL, February 26 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stated that there is "no reason not to get along" with the United States if Washington abandons its hostile policy, even as he intensified his rhetoric against South Korea by vowing to permanently exclude the country from the category of "compatriots."
North Korea's state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday that Kim delivered a summary report during the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, which concluded the previous day. Kim noted that the future of relations with the U.S. depends entirely on Washington's willingness to respect North Korea's status as a nuclear-armed state. He stated that Pyongyang is prepared for both "peaceful coexistence or eternal confrontation," placing the responsibility for the next move on the U.S.
While maintaining a measure of strategic flexibility toward Washington, Kim took an exceptionally aggressive stance toward South Korea, effectively sidelining Seoul from any future diplomatic roadmap. He characterized the conciliatory approach of the Lee Jae Myung government as a "deception" and repeatedly dismissed the possibility of dialogue. Kim further solidified his "hostile two-state" policy, declaring that South Korea would be "permanently excluded from the category of our fellow countrymen."
The North Korean leader warned that any actions by South Korea perceived as a threat to the security environment could trigger the use of physical force, including "preemptive strikes." He claimed that such actions could lead to the "complete collapse" of South Korea, emphasizing that the North has the technical and theoretical means to execute such a response.
The timing of these declarations is significant as the Congress of the Workers' Party serves as the highest decision-making body in North Korea. These rare gatherings are used to define the nation's strategic direction and consolidate the leader's authority. By delivering these remarks during the 9th Congress, Kim has effectively codified the "hostile two-state" doctrine into the country's formal political roadmap.
The current hostility represents a sharp departure from the inter-Korean relations seen under former President Moon Jae-in. Between 2017 and 2022, the two nations engaged in significant diplomacy, leading to the 2018 Panmunjom Declaration and multiple high-level summits. This period of engagement eventually paved the way for the first-ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader.
Tensions began to resurface and eventually sour during the administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who prioritized military deterrence and strengthened trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan. Under the Yoon government, the 2018 Comprehensive Military Agreement was effectively scrapped, and North Korea officially designated South Korea as its "primary foe" in early 2024.
Despite the 2025 election of the Lee Jae-myung administration, which has signaled a preference for de-escalation, Pyongyang indicated that it has no intention of returning to a partnership for unification. Kim described the habit of treating South Korea as a fellow ethnic group as an "erroneous practice" that should no longer be tolerated.
Kim concluded the report by signaling a policy of strategic ambiguity. He noted that North Korea's future military and diplomatic maneuvers would remain hidden, suggesting that keeping rivals unable to calculate Pyongyang's next moves would serve as a psychological deterrent.
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