South Korea ministry aims to drop 'main enemy' label for North Korea

South Korea’s Unification Ministry announced a policy shift to stop referring to North Korea as the "main enemy" and to use its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as part of a broader push for peaceful coexistence. The plan, presented by Unification Minister Chung Dong‑young to President Lee Jae‑myung, includes reviving the 2018 inter‑Korean military tension‑reduction pact, restarting construction of the Gyeongwon railway line to Wonsan, and revising the Inter‑Korean Cooperation Fund to support peace zones and joint projects.

The ministry defended the initiative after President Lee urged caution, emphasizing the need for continual effort despite a challenging security environment. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun expressed skepticism, calling a proposed four‑way dialogue with the United States and China "idealistic" and noting it had not been coordinated within the government.