More turbulent inter

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the plenary of the eighth Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, Saturday, in this photo released by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency the next day. Yonhap

North Korea to launch 3 more spy satellites in new year: state mediaBy Lee Hyo-jin

Relations between South and North Korea are expected to go from bad to worse in 2024, according to analysts, with Pyongyang declaring on Sunday that Seoul is no longer "a counterpart for reconciliation and unification."

North Korea plans to ramp up its military capabilities in the new year, focusing on advancing its military spy satellite and nuclear technologies, prompting South Korea to bolster its readiness against any potential military provocations.

"I believe that it is a mistake that we must no longer make to deal with the people who declare us as ‘the main enemy’ and seek opportunities for ‘our regime collapse’ and ‘unification by absorption’ by collaborating for reconciliation and unification," North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was quoted as saying by the North's state-run media outlet, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Sunday.

Saying that it is time to fundamentally depart from its existing policies toward South Korea, Kim described current inter-Korean relations as “a relationship between two hostile countries."

The KCNA reported that Kim made such remarks the previous day while wrapping up a key ruling Workers’ Party meeting held to set the regime's internal and diplomatic policy goals for 2024. The five-day meeting kicked off on Dec. 26.

Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, thinks that Kim's latest remarks signal the North's "decision to leave" any peaceful talks with South Korea.

"Kim has officially declared his intention not to engage in any dialogue with the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. It's a clear indication that Pyongyang will walk away from inter-Korean relations," Cho said.

However, the researcher noted that Kim's rhetoric does not mean that the North will not pursue unification at all.

"If you read between the lines, what Kim meant is that his regime will achieve its ultimate goal of unification through the use of force, not through peaceful means. It seeks the collapse of South Korea," Cho explained, adding that South Korea should brace for heightened military provocations.

President Yoon Suk Yeol visits a front-line army unit at the central section of the inter-Korean border in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. During the visit, Yoon ordered the military to immediately retaliate first and report it later in case of enemy attacks. Courtesy of presidential office

According to the KCNA, during the end-of-year meetings, Kim ordered the military to "pacify the entire territory of South Korea," through means including nuclear bombs if necessary, in response to any attacks. He also announced the launch of three additional military reconnaissance satellites as one of the regime's key policy goals for 2024.

"The year 2024 is expected to witness an intensified standoff between the two Koreas, potentially surpassing the levels that we've seen in the past couple of years," said Yang Moo-jin, the president of the University of North Korean Studies.

"With neither Seoul nor Pyongyang showing any willingness to step back, the security environment on the Korean Peninsula may see more tensions with South Korea, U.S. and Japan on one side and North Korea, Russia and China on the other," he added.

Earlier this week, South Korea's intelligence agency warned of a high possibility for North Korea to stage military provocations in early 2024, in the lead-up to the April 10 general elections in South Korea and the U.S. presidential elections in November.

Regarding this, Cho of the unification institute said, "I wouldn't assert that the Kim regime is aligning its provocation plans with our election schedule. However, based on previous patterns, it is always possible that North Korea will use military provocations to shape our domestic affairs to its advantage."