Is North Korea’s Shift in Policy Toward South Korea Defensive or Offensive in Nature?

In December 2023, during the Plenary Meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and in January 2024, at the Supreme People’s Assembly, Kim Jong Un redefined inter-Korean relations as those of “two belligerent states,” emphasizing the necessity for a “fundamental shift in policy toward South Korea.” Against this backdrop, some North Korean observers interpret this shift as “defensive measures” aimed at internal control. In other words, the shift in North Korea’s policy toward South Korea is seen as an acknowledgment of defeat in the inter-Korean competition.

The nature of North Korea’s policy shift toward the South is crucial for understanding North Korea’s intentions and formulating appropriate countermeasures. Therefore, this Issue Brief aims to analyze this policy shift in detail and, based on this analysis, propose directions for future policy toward North Korea.

This article is an English Summary of Asan Issue Brief (2024-06).

(‘북한의 대남정책 전환 ‘성격’ 평가’)