Kim Yo Jong issued two statements this week referring to South Korea using its official name, the Republic of Korea, a departure from convention that sparked widespread speculation that North Korea now views the South as a separate state, rather than a compatriot with which it seeks to reunify.

But one expert explained to NK News that Pyongyang has used language implying South Korea is a distinct entity before, while framing the latest statements as part of a rhetorical trend to justify ongoing weapons development efforts and not official recognition that the ROK is an independent country.