SEOUL - North Korea’s state-controlled media has called South Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol a “fascist dictator” and a “warmonger” a day before elections that will determine the make-up of Parliament, currently dominated by Mr Yoon’s opponents.

Reports carried by North Korea’s official KCNA news agency described the South as being “engulfed” in protests, adding that “popular resistance to impeach puppet Yoon Suk-yeol is growing by the day”.

“In puppet Korea, the enthusiasm of all walks of life for the destruction of Yoon Suk-yeol’s puppet party is intensifying,” KCNA said on April 9.

Analysts say the results of the election, which will not affect Mr Yoon’s five-year term in office, are unlikely to result in major changes to South Korea’s foreign policy.

Some labour groups have held protests against Mr Yoon, but they are nothing like the widespread demonstrations that led to the downfall of the last conservative president, Park Geun-hye, in 2017 over corruption charges.

Mr Yoon’s hardline policies toward Pyongyang have riled the North, which is ruled by leader Kim Jong Un.

Earlier in 2023, North Korea changed its policies to effectively treat the South as a separate, enemy state, with Mr Kim saying that peaceful reunification was impossible.

He also ordered his military to be prepared to pacify and occupy the South in the event of a crisis.

Since the 1950 to 1953 Korean War ended in a stalemate, both nations have had policies that treat each other differently than other countries.

That has included relying on special agencies and ministries for inter-Korean relations and embracing policies for a future peaceful reunification. REUTERS