North Korea demolishes symbolic monument of reunification with South
Arch of Reunification (Getty Images)
North Korea destroyed a crucial monument, the Arch of Reunification, that was constructed as a symbol of a desire for peace with South Korea, Reuters reports.
The information is provided by satellite images of Pyongyang. There was no official confirmation which is not surprising, considering the country's status as the world's outcast.
The leader, Kim Jong Un, recently said that South Korea is now the main enemy and that reunification is not possible anymore.
Kim Jong Un (Getty Images)
"Kim called the monument an "eyesore" in a speech at the Supreme People's Assembly on Jan. 15, where he ordered that the constitution be amended to say the South was a "primary foe and invariable principal enemy," Reuters reports, citing official media.
Kim Jong Un also warned that North Korea does not seek war but is prepared for it if necessary. "We don't want war but we have no intention of avoiding it," he said.
The Arch of Reunification
The Arch of Reunification, or the Monument to the Three-Point Charter for National Reunification, was a sculptural 30-meter tall arch erected in August 2001 south of Pyongyang and represented peace and national cooperation. It stood over the Reunification Highway that goes from Pyongyang to the Demilitarized Zone.
The arch showed two Korean women wearing traditional clothes, symbolizing North and South Korea. They leaned forward together, holding up a round shape with a map of a united Korea. This round shape is the symbol of the Three Charters, which includes the Three Principles of National Reunification, the Plan for a Democratic Federal Republic of Korea, and the Ten Point Program for the Great Unity of the Whole Nation.
North Korea threatens war regularly
Tensions between North and South Korea have risen over military activities, with North Korea preparing for what it calls a "nuclear war." North Korea occasionally asserts its nuclear state status and regularly conducts ballistic missile tests. Recently, North Korea claimed to have conducted tests of a hypersonic solid-fuel ballistic missile.
North Korea also regularly threatens to attack the South, U.S., and Japanese forces. For example, North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, causing alarm in Japan.
The DPRK also recently announced that it had tested its submarine nuclear weapons system in protest against the joint military exercises of South Korea, the United States, and Japan. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea announced new sanctions against individuals and organizations associated with North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
