Tensions on the Korean Peninsula Reach New Heights; Kim Calls for Constitutional Reform

North Korea announced on Monday that it has canceled the mission of key government agencies responsible for managing relations with South Korea. This move followed a speech by Kim Jong Un in which he stated that he would no longer seek reconciliation with his rival. According to the Associated Press, citing North Korea's official news agency, the decision to abolish the dialogue and cooperation agencies with South Korea was made during a parliamentary session on Monday. In his speech, Kim accused South Korea and the United States of escalating tensions in the region and asserted that it is impossible for the North to pursue peaceful reconciliation and reunification with the South. He called for the assembly to rewrite North Korea's constitution in its next session to designate South Korea as the 'main enemy.' Just two days prior, amid rising tensions due to North Korea's intercontinental missile launch and its first spy satellite, Seoul and Tokyo reported on Sunday the launch of a medium-range missile by Pyongyang. In recent weeks, North Korea has intensified its pressure on South Korea, labeling it as its 'main enemy' and promising that it will never unite with its southern neighbor while enhancing its capabilities for a nuclear attack on the U.S. and its allies in the Pacific. The South Korean military stated that the missile was launched at 2:55 PM local time from around Pyongyang and landed about 1,000 kilometers off the eastern coast of the country, adding that Seoul, along with Washington and Tokyo, is analyzing the missile. Japan's Ministry of Defense estimated the missile's peak altitude to be at least 50 kilometers and noted that it landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. Tokyo condemned North Korea's action as a violation of United Nations resolutions. Last November, North Korea announced the successful testing of solid-fuel engines designed for medium-range ballistic missiles. In December, Pyongyang also reported testing its latest intercontinental ballistic missile to assess the combat readiness of its nuclear forces against what it called increasing U.S. hostility. The United Nations: North Korean hackers and criminals are collaborating with Asian money laundering networks. An analytical report by the Financial Times on the impact of North Korean and Islamic Republic aid to Putin in the invasion of Ukraine. North Korea's new missile test comes ahead of the visit of its foreign minister to Russia. The U.S. response to North Korea-Russia missile cooperation: three Russian entities and one related individual have been sanctioned. South Korea's maritime border shelling; Kim's sister mocked Seoul. Seoul warned North Korea about the shelling of the maritime border between the two countries.