DPRK top leader calls ROK 'foreign country and apparent hostile country'

SEOUL -- The top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea called the Republic of Korea "a foreign country and an apparent hostile country," and stressed "useless awareness about fellow countrymen and unreasonable idea of reunification" when he addressed inter-Korean relations, as he called for ramping up the war-fighting capabilities during an inspection trip to the headquarters of the 2nd Corps of the Korean People's Army on Thursday, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.

Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, made the remarks as he made the trip to encourage the officers and troops of the large combined unit that "have reliably defended the territory of our state, always maintaining full combat readiness on high alert at the forefront near the border," the KCNA said.

Kim learned of the combat readiness of the military units ready for combat operations under the corps after being briefed on the current situation.

The KCNA said the DPRK leader reminded the armed forces of "the stark fact that the ROK is a foreign country and an apparent hostile country."

Recalling that the DPRK has completely blocked the roads and railways to the ROK territory two days ago through detonations, Kim said that the move means "not only the physical closure but also the end of the evil relationship with Seoul" and "the complete removal of the useless awareness about fellow countrymen and unreasonable idea of reunification," according to the KCNA report.

"When the DPRK sovereignty is violated by the ROK, a hostile country, its physical forces will be used unhesitatingly, without sticking to (any) conditions any longer," Kim was quoted by the KCNA as saying.

Citing serious security circumstances, Kim urged the DPRK military "to continue concentrating all efforts on bolstering up the war-fighting capabilities, and to take more perfect military steps for reliably defending the security of the country through the permanent overwhelming combat readiness," the KCNA said.

In the latest sign of the heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the DPRK confirmed on Thursday that the roads and railways connecting the ROK in the eastern and western parts of the DPRK southern border had been completely blocked through explosion operations, a previous KCNA report said.