South Korea Denies Proposal to Recognize North Korea as Separate Nation

South Korea’s unification ministry has refuted a news report suggesting that it had recommended a constitutional amendment to President Lee Jae Myung to acknowledge North Korea as an independent nation in a bid to enhance ties with Pyongyang. The ministry clarified that it did not propose any constitutional changes during a recent closed-door policy briefing to the President. Currently, South Korea’s Constitution designates the entire Korean Peninsula as its sovereign territory, not recognizing North Korea as a distinct nation. Ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho labeled the report as baseless and untrue, emphasizing that no such revision was proposed or considered. Moreover, in response to repeated incursions by North Korean soldiers across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) within the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), South Korean military has updated its guidelines to prevent accidental clashes. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) has instructed troops to prioritize markers indicating the MDL and apply both the South Korean military map’s MDL and the line connecting MDL markers established by the US-led United Nations Command (UNC). This adjustment allows the military to assess North Korean troops’ border crossings based on a line drawn further southward. Even if North Korean soldiers cross the line connecting MDL indicators, South Korean forces may refrain from responding if it does not align with their military map’s MDL assessment. The JCS issued this guideline update in September to prevent misunderstandings during border incidents.