Pyongyang considers Seoul to be its “most harmful and unchangeable enemy,” the leader has said
Pyongyang must be prepared to seize South Korean territory in the event of an “emergency,” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said.
In a speech marking the 76th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean Army on Friday, Kim praised the military for “firmly protecting the sovereignty and dignity of the country” from “imperialist military threats, blackmail, and the risk of war.”
[Kim] said his country has “summarized the history of our people’s division and confrontation and defined [South] Korean puppets as the most harmful and unchangeable enemy” of Pyongyang.
Against this backdrop, Kim stated that in the event of an “emergency,” North Korean policymakers had “made a national decision to occupy and pacify [South Korean] territory.”
Last month, Kim also called on the national parliament to label South Korea the “number one hostile country.”
[…]
Citing US officials, the New York Times reported in January that Washington is worried that North Korea could “take some form of lethal military action” against Seoul. The paper’s sources, however, doubted that Pyongyang would risk anything resembling a full-scale attack.
(non-archived link: https://www.rt.com/news/592193-north-korea-ready-occupy-south/ )
From what I read, around 80 percent of South Koreans support Kim Jong-Un, but in a liberation war, I could see those numbers turn.
Where did you read that? It sounds absurd.
The poll said that 80% of South Koreans “Trusted” Kim Jong Un. The context: at the time Moon Jae-in (SK’s president) and KJU were in talks and there was serious consideration being given to signing a proper peace treaty, so the people were pretty optimistic. Just a month before these discussions, another poll had SK’s approval of KJU at 10%, so I think it’s safe to say that it was in response to this specific event and not something that has held steady in the meantime.
IIRC this moment of peace broke down because a key point in negotiations was the US leaving South Korea, so when Moon brought the deal back to his actual masters it was dead on arrival. This has pretty much been the pattern with every SK president who wants to formally end the war.
Ah that makes way more sense, thanks.
https://time.com/5262437/kim-jong-un-trust-south-korea-poll/
https://news.yahoo.com/news/nearly-80-percent-south-koreans-041117547.html