North Korea reports 'bombing inter-Korean roads and railways'..."Korea is a hostile country".

■ Host: Anchor Jeong Ji-woong
■ Starring: Kim Yong-hyun, professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please specify [YTN NewsNOW] when quoting.


[Anchor]
Ask a professional about a hot issue. It's an issue call. The day before yesterday (15th), North Korea, which did not report the bombing of roads and railroads on the Gyeongui and East Sea lines connected to South Korea, reported the news to internal and external media today.

As you can see, it was released in a surprise manner along with three photos of the bombing. In the process, the North Korean media claimed, "We complied with the demands of the Constitution, which regulated the Republic of Korea as a thoroughly hostile country."

Therefore, Korea was defined as an "enemy power," but it is interpreted that some amendments were made at the Supreme People's Assembly 10 days ago that reflected Kim Jong-un's "two hostile state theories."

However, it has not yet been disclosed whether the new territorial provisions or the deletion of unification expressions have been reflected. We will take a look at Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University, who has been deteriorating every day. Professor, you're out, right? First of all, what do you think is the reason why North Korea disclosed the bombing of the inter-Korean road in two days without immediately announcing it?

[Kim Yonghyun]
There are two aspects. One is that North Korea is showing shock therapy with more time lag. Didn't North Korea inform the internal media about drones? Through this, various events aimed at a great internal gathering within North Korea are underway, and I think there is a side that I will continue to show the shock by disclosing the parts related to the bombing internally and externally with a time difference. Another thing is that from the perspective of North Korea, it is very strong to show that military tensions on the Korean Peninsula are rising strongly against the South or the United States. You can see it as a little bit more time lagged and the military tensions on the Korean Peninsula increased in the face of the U.S. presidential election. It's a little time lagged in terms of showing this more shockingly or impactfully.

[Anchor]
Today, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the photos presented by North Korea may have used the videos we took and released without permission. I wonder if this makes sense, but is this why it took two days?

[Kim Yonghyun]
I think it's hard to see it like that. Of course, I think North Korea chose these photos that showed the most explosive power or the process of the explosion more shocking. If you look at it like that, I think we can talk about whether the picture was taken on our side.I think it's hard to see Ma like this because of that, a day has been delayed. However, anyway, North Korea shows the symbolism of this bombing scene as much as possible, I think this is North Korea's strategy. In the past, this was the case when the cooling furnace was blown up in Yongbyon, and North Korea showed shock therapy through three or four explosions, but this time, such shock therapy is used to the fullest. That was North Korea's strategy, we have to look at it like this.

[Anchor]
North Korea's fortification is expected to continue, so what do you think North Korea can do in the future?

[Kim Yonghyun]
The fortification work will continue now. So places where the two Koreas are symbolically and visually visible to each other, including the inter-Korean passageway, are likely to strengthen the fortification work. In the process, the danger of the NLL can be very high, and there is a good chance that the North will pressure the South in a month of coastal artillery training or short-range missile firing in the NLL waters, and make the NLL look like a powder keg. If we go further in the process, the possibility of a military reconnaissance satellite or a seventh nuclear test cannot be ruled out because the U.S. presidential election is just around the corner. Therefore, it seems highly likely that North Korea will raise the level of pressure on the South or the U.S. at a low level, then a high level, and step by step. I can tell you this.

[Anchor]
What stands out in the midst of this is that Korea has been regulated as a hostile country. What are the effects that North Korea is trying to get through the constitutional amendment?

[Kim Yonghyun]
The first concern is whether the constitution will be revised or not. The Rodong Sinmun also used the expression "southern border." I used the expression of the closure of the road railroad in the eastern and western regions of the southern border. It also defines and regulates the South as a hostile country and the South as a hostile country. These expressions came out this time. It's included in the Constitution, and this part formalizes the two-state theory as North Korea, but it seems that North Korea is not disclosing the entire constitution now. So, depending on the situation that will be revealed in the future, we can see how much the constitution has changed, but for now, as North Korea stipulates two theories of state or hostile state in the constitution, the two countries will continue to go forward to North Koreans. You can see it like this, you're doing something that strongly implies it and shows it.

[Anchor]
As you mentioned, it has not been disclosed yet, but do you think it is highly likely that Kim Jong-un, the chairman of the State Affairs Commission, revised the constitution to reflect the deletion of unification expressions or the establishment of territorial provisions?

[Kim Yonghyun]
That part is not that simple. This is because the territorial clause, whether it is a unification issue, can be problematic because if you look at the full text of the Constitution in North Korea, the achievements and achievements of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are all plastered with the contents in the preface. It contains issues of unification and such, and if you take all of these into account, you will downgrade Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. Since it can be seen by the people in this way, it would be a bit burdensome for North Korea to contain very specific details on the territorial provisions or the issue of unification. In this regard, it is highly likely that the issue of territorial provisions or the issue of unification has been dealt with abstractly. If the revision was made, it is highly likely that it will have happened.

[Anchor]
We looked at the process of North Korea's accelerating fortification. I was with Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University. Thank you, professor.