North Korea frequently lashes out against its neighbour south of the Demilitarized Zone. But since the now-suspended South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, declared martial law on December 3, 2024, North Korea has stepped up its criticism.
After the South Korean National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon, North Korean state media chastised the South Korean ‘puppet’ for leading a ‘fascist dictatorship’. Following his arrest in January, state media called the ‘reckless’ South Korean leader a ‘ringleader of insurrection’.
While the political climate in South Korea remains uncertain, 2025 is set to be a turbulent year. The country’s domestic upheaval and the changing geopolitics around the Korean Peninsula play into the hands of Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader, who arguably finds himself in a stronger position than ever to command regional and international attention.
