The supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Un, stated that his country will consider South Korea its “most hostile state” and denounced the United States for carrying out “state-sponsored terrorism and aggression.” According to North Korea's official KCNA news agency, targeting its southern neighbor, Kim announced that Pyongyang will reject Seoul and ignore it completely through explicit words and actions. The North Korean leader declared that his country will make South Korea “pay the price” without mercy for its provocative acts and will never remain a passive observer to any attempt to violate its sovereignty, security interests, or right to development. The South Korean presidential office criticized North Korea's designation of South Korea as the “most hostile state,” stating that such hostile rhetoric does not contribute to peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula at all.
