North Korea has revised its constitution to drop all references to unification with South Korea and to grant leader Kim Jong-un direct command over the country’s nuclear forces, according to a copy of the document reviewed by South Korea’s unification ministry.
The revised text was presented at a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday with Yonhap News Agency cited as the source of the review. It defines North Korean territory as the land bordering China and Russia to the north and South Korea to the south, along with adjacent territorial waters and airspace, but does not address the disputed Yellow Sea maritime boundary around the Northern Limit Line.
The document was first adopted in September 1948 and amended five times before a socialist constitution was introduced in 1972. After 12 further amendments, Pyongyang revised it again in March, removing the word “socialist” from the title.
Contrary to expectations, the revision does not designate South Korea as a “primary foe” despite Kim Jong-un’s earlier framing of Seoul as a hostile state. Phrases such as “peaceful reunification” and “great national unity” have been removed in line with his policy of treating the two Koreas as separate countries. References to the achievements of state founder Kim Il-sung and his successor Kim Jong-il are also omitted.
The constitution elevates the president of the State Affairs Commission to head of state, placing the position above the Supreme People’s Assembly in the constitutional hierarchy, and formally grants Kim direct command over nuclear forces.
Professor Lee Jung-chul of Seoul National University, speaking at the briefing, said the changes appear designed to project North Korea as a “normal” state and that the absence of overtly hostile language toward Seoul could lay the groundwork for peaceful coexistence. Pyongyang has continued accelerating ballistic missile tests through 2026 amid the broader regional security environment.
Source: NewsFirst.
