North Korea Denounces South Korea-EU Joint Statement, Reclassifies Seoul as 'Hostile Nation'

North Korea has announced its position classifying South Korea as a 'thoroughly hostile nation' in response to the joint statement from the South Korea-European Union (EU) summit, which condemned military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. In a statement released on June 13, North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed the joint statement between South Korea and the EU violated its sovereignty and constituted a grave act of hostility.

In its statement, North Korea accused the South Korean administration of casting aside the 'mask of peace' and asserted that the joint statement proved the impossibility of peaceful coexistence between the two Koreas, confirming their relationship as permanently hostile. North Korea referred to South Korea as its 'number one hostile nation'.

The joint statement from the South Korea-EU summit explicitly stated, 'We strongly condemn the illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea,' and affirmed that North Korea would never be recognized as a nuclear-weapon state under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Meanwhile, this statement is reportedly the first official announcement made under the name of a 'Spokesperson for the 10th Foreign Ministry Bureau'. North Korea's adoption of the practice of publicly releasing official positions under the name of a specific bureau within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggests a potential shift in its diplomatic strategy.