North Korea has deleted all references to uniting with South Korea from its constitution, a document reviewed by AFP yesterday showed, underscoring Pyongyang’s push for a more hostile policy towards Seoul.

North and South Korea remain technically at war because their 1950-53 war ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

Pyongyang’s constitution had previously contained a clause stating that it aimed “to realise the unification of the motherland”.

That reference no longer appears in the latest version, presented yesterday by a professor during a news conference at South Korea’s Unification Ministry and subsequently seen by AFP.

The revised constitution, which the document indicated was introduced in March, also includes a new clause delineating North Korea’s territory.

Using South Korea’s official name, it says that includes the area bordering China and Russia to the north, “and the Republic of Korea to the south”.

North Korea “absolutely does not alflow any infringement on its territory”, it added.