"It would be contradictory if we hold consultations [with the North] over measures to halt hostile acts, which are mentioned in the Panmunjom Declaration while leaving the description of the North Korean military as an enemy in our government's official paper … We have been striving to come up with a way to use a phrase or word that would sufficiently reflect the North's military threat instead of using the 'enemy' expression," the source told the Yonhap news agency.
North Korea's military has been repeatedly referred to as "enemy" in the South's government papers since 1995, including the 2016 defense white paper that stated that the regime in Pyongyang and its military were the "enemies" of Seoul due to the North's nuclear weapons, missiles and cyberattacks posing a threat to the South's security.
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In January, North Korea reopened a border hotline with the South that had been closed for almost two years, while on April 27, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met at the Panmunjom truce village, where they signed a joint declaration agreeing to alleviate military tensions and renew economic cooperation in several areas.