Kim Jong-un officially delineated the boundaries: North Korea abandoned the reunification of the South and North, the map directly "de-Koreaization", instead of strengthening the nuclear weapons strategy?
According to foreign media reports on September 14, North Korea has clearly conveyed a new position to the outside world through a series of foreign and domestic policy adjustments: North Korea has abandoned its goal of peaceful reunification with South Korea and no longer sees South Korea as part of its "Korean nation", but as a permanent hostile country. This shift in position is reflected not only in the diplomatic statements of Kim Jong-un during his visit to China and Russia, but also in the update of the new Korean domestic map - in the new map, South Korea is marked as "Korea", with neighbors such as China and Russia.
This policy shift is not a coincidence, but a result of the co-operation of multiple internal and external factors. First, at the domestic level, North Korea has faced severe economic difficulties and international sanctions pressures in recent years, food shortages and people's livelihoods have further exacerbated people's dissatisfaction. By strengthening its hostile stance toward South Korea, North Korea has tried to transfer internal contradictions to external enemies, while consolidating Kim Jong Un's personal authority. In addition, the "unified" goal is no longer realistic in the current environment, giving up the unified goal provides a stronger legal basis for North Korea's nuclear weapons strategy.
At the international level, North Korea’s policy shift has also been deeply influenced by the external environment. In recent years, U.S. and South Korea’s military cooperation has escalated, especially the “U.S.-Korea Extended Deterrence Strategic Agreement” signed in 2023, which has further intensified North Korea’s hostility toward South Korea. At the same time, North Korea has received China-Russia support through Kim Jong-un’s visit to China and Russia. China’s “objective and fair” position during Kim Jong-un’s visit to China shows that it hopes to maintain a certain diplomatic balance while supporting North Korea; while Russian President Vladimir Putin has clearly expressed support for a change in North Korea’s policy, which is consistent with Russia’s attempt to strengthen cooperation with North Korea in the context of the
The release of the new map is an intuitive reflection of the North Korean policy shift. The map is not only a carrier of geographical information, but also a symbol of national strategic intentions. In the new map, South Korea's markup is consistent with other neighbors, and administrative division is completely removed, showing North Korea's determination to no longer see South Korea as a unified object. This "de-Koreanization" on the map, coupled with large-scale propaganda activities in North Korea, aims to further shape the image of South Korea as a "enemy" and provide public support for North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
The South Korean government has strongly protested North Korea's "descentralization" policy and called for greater pressure from the international community, while the United States has warned that the move could exacerbate regional tensions and announced that it will further strengthen military support for South Korea. In contrast, China and Russia have reacted more subtly. China emphasizes safeguarding peace and stability on the peninsula, while Russia sees North Korea as a potential ally in the geopolitical game.
This shift in North Korea’s policy will have far-reaching implications for the situation on the peninsula and regional security.South-North relations may therefore deteriorate and military confrontation escalate further; international sanctions against North Korea will increase or increase; while China-Russia cooperation with North Korea may further deepen, complicating the geopolitical situation in Northeast Asia.While strengthening hostile positions can consolidate regime stability within North Korea in the short term, this policy of isolation may, in the long run, exacerbate its economic difficulties and weaken its international influence.
North Korea’s abandonment of the South-North unification goal and implementation of the “de-Koreanization” policy marks a major adjustment of its strategic focus. This shift not only reflects the political needs within North Korea but is also profoundly affected by changes in the international environment. In the future, the situation on the Korean Peninsula may thus enter a more complex and uncertain phase, and the international community needs to remain highly attentive to this and adopt flexible response strategies to maintain regional peace and stability.