North Korea has escalated its ideological campaign against South Korea, openly branding Seoul as the "No. 1 hostile country" at a major indoctrination facility in Pyongyang, photographs released by state media revealed this week.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published images from the Central Class Education House showing uniformed soldiers viewing propaganda displays during celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, the country's largest youth organization. The photographs depicted rows of service members listening to guides beneath banners declaring South Korea the "No. 1 hostile country and the unchanging archenemy."
The propaganda materials accused Seoul of orchestrating a "confrontational frenzy" aimed at overthrowing the North Korean regime. Particularly notable was the display of South Korea's constitutional provision defining the country's territory as the entire Korean Peninsula—which Pyongyang presented as evidence of Seoul's alleged absorption strategy.
This public messaging campaign directly implements directives from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who delivered a parliamentary address in January 2024 declaring that the constitution should mandate education programs ensuring "the Republic of Korea is thoroughly regarded as the number one hostile state and the unchanging main enemy." At a year-end party meeting in December 2023, Kim had formally redefined inter-Korean relations as those between "two states hostile to each other"—a fundamental shift from the previous framework acknowledging eventual reunification.
The Central Class Education House, which opened in 2016 on the banks of the Pothong River in Pyongyang, serves as one of North Korea's principal ideological education centers. The facility exhibits materials fostering confrontation with what the regime terms hostile forces, including South Korea, the United States, and Japan. The deliberate showcasing of these displays during youth league celebrations signals Pyongyang's systematic effort to institutionalize the "two hostile nations" doctrine throughout North Korean society.
Analysts note that the regime's focus on educating younger generations in this hardened anti-Seoul stance represents a significant departure from decades of official reunification rhetoric. By transforming major cultural institutions into venues for hostile messaging, North Korea appears to be cementing a long-term strategic posture that treats engagement with Seoul as fundamentally adversarial rather than aspirational.
The propaganda offensive comes amid broader regional tensions, with North Korea strengthening military cooperation with Russia and accelerating weapons development programs. Seoul has responded by deepening security partnerships with the United States and Japan, while pursuing enhanced deterrence capabilities including participation in nuclear planning consultations.
In Korea, as across dynamic Asian economies, cultural exports and technological leadership reshape global perceptions—even as security tensions persist. Yet the ideological hardening evidenced at Pyongyang's indoctrination centers suggests the inter-Korean relationship has entered a fundamentally new phase, with Kim Jong-un's regime systematically preparing its population for permanent division rather than eventual reconciliation.
The installation of permanent anti-Seoul signage at major cultural venues and the orchestrated tours for youth league members indicate this shift extends beyond elite policy pronouncements to comprehensive societal indoctrination. For Seoul, the challenge lies in navigating this hostile environment while maintaining deterrence and preserving limited channels for crisis management—a delicate balance as Pyongyang's "two hostile states" doctrine becomes institutionally embedded across North Korean society.
