North Korea erases South Korea from map in new sign of hostility
North Korea has taken a dramatic step in redefining its stance toward South Korea, leaving the South’s territory blank on a newly revised map. The change reflects Pyongyang’s shift in policy, which views the South not as a partner in reunification but as a hostile and separate nation.

North Korea has taken a dramatic step in redefining its stance toward South Korea, leaving the South’s territory blank on a newly revised map. The change reflects Pyongyang’s shift in policy, which views the South not as a partner in reunification but as a hostile and separate nation.
Last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to amend the country’s constitution to declare South Korea the “primary and immutable enemy.” He further distanced himself from past rhetoric of shared ethnic identity, stating that he no longer considered South Koreans “the same ethnic people.” However, it remains unclear whether the constitutional change has been formally enacted, as no official announcements have been made.
The Korean Peninsula has remained divided since the aftermath of World War II. Until recently, both the communist North and U.S.-aligned South maintained the goal of eventual reunification. But a revised North Korean map, dated April 2024, suggests that Pyongyang has abandoned this notion entirely. The map was reportedly seen by Radio Free Asia and posted on the Chinese social media platform RedNote (Xiaohongshu) by a user claiming to study the North Korean language.
Notably, the new edition refers to South Korea as “Hanguk,” the Korean term for the Republic of Korea, instead of the previous “Namjoson,” which implied that the South was merely a region of a unified Korea. A Seoul-based North Korean defector who reviewed the map said he believed it to be genuine, though RFA has not independently verified its authenticity.
Beyond changing terminology, the latest map omits all details of South Korea’s administrative divisions and key geographical markers. Previous editions included information such as “the southernmost point of Marado, Seogwipo City, Jeju Province” and “the easternmost point of Dokdo, Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province.” The total length of the Korean Peninsula from east to west and north to south was also marked. However, in the new edition, all such references to the South have been erased.
**Kim Jong Un’s Growing Profile**
The revised map also signals a shift in North Korea’s internal propaganda. In previous versions, instructions from former leader Kim Jong Il were prominently featured. These have now been replaced with directives from Kim Jong Un, reinforcing his status as the sole authority in the country.
Another notable change is the use of the year “2024” instead of “Juche 113,” a departure from North Korea’s long-standing dating system, which is based on the birth year of Kim Il Sung, the country’s founder. Reports indicate that North Korea stopped using the juche count in October in favor of the Gregorian calendar, aligning with the global standard.
The juche dating system, introduced in 1997, retroactively named 1912 as “Juche 1.” Under this system, Korean independence from Japanese colonial rule in 1945 was marked as “Juche 34,” and North Korea’s founding in 1948 was recorded as “Juche 37.”
The recent revisions, both in cartography and official dating, appear to be part of a broader effort by Kim Jong Un to cement his leadership by downplaying the legacy of his father and grandfather. Over the years, North Korean propaganda has steadily reduced references to his predecessors, emphasizing Kim’s rule as absolute. This latest move reinforces his push to reshape the nation’s identity—both internally and in its geopolitical stance.