Once 30 meters in height, the Arch of Reunification symbolically foresaw a potential reunion on the Korean peninsula. However, Kim Jong Un recently labeled it an “eyesore,” and satellite imagery suggests its disappearance.
It seems that a significant monument honoring peace and the potential for reunification between North and South Korea was demolished at Kim Jong Un’s direction.
Mr. Kim recently pledged to increase his nuclear arsenal, construct military drones, and launch new spy satellites, claiming that U.S. policy was making war inevitable.
He labeled South Korea a “primary foe” and declared that unification was no longer feasible a week ago.
The Arch of Reunification, representing aspirations for Korean reunification following a pivotal inter-Korean summit in 2000, was not visible in satellite imagery of Pyongyang on Tuesday, according to NK News, an online publication that monitors North Korea.
In a speech to the Supreme People’s Assembly last week, Mr. Kim referred to the monument as an “eyesore.” He demanded an amendment to the constitution designating South Korea as the “invariable principal enemy.”
Monument Demolition and Missile Launches
The thirty-meter-tall arch, officially designated as the Monument to the Three Charters for National Reunification, represented the three chartersโpeace, national cooperation, and self-sufficiencyโas documented by the South Korean government.
According to the South Korean military, North Korea reportedly launched multiple cruise missiles toward the sea off its west coast on Wednesday as news of the monument’s alleged destruction spread.
Shin Won-sik, the defense minister of South Korea, described the launches as a grave danger to his nation.
He cautioned, during a visit to a stealth fighter jet unit, that if the North Korean leader’s regime initiated a conflict, it would perish.
If Kim Jong Un elects to initiate a conflict, he advised that you, as an unseen force safeguarding South Korea, should promptly assume a leading role in ousting the enemy’s leadership.
