North Korea reappoints Kim Jong Un as Chairman of the State Affairs Commission [Yonhap News] 

It has been confirmed that North Korea has amended its constitution to reflect Chairman Kim Jong Un's "two-state" line by establishing a new clause defining only the northern part of the peninsula as its territory and deleting the clause on national reunification.

The Chairman of the State Affairs Commission has been defined as the "head of state," and the authority to use nuclear weapons has been explicitly stated for the first time, strengthening Chairman Kim's status and authority.

According to the preamble of North Korea's new constitution, revealed at a press briefing for reporters from the Ministry of Unification held at the Government Complex Seoul on the 6th, terms related to the relationship with the same people and the concept of reunification, such as "North Korean territory," "national reunification," and "complete victory of socialism," which were present in the preamble and main text of the constitution (amended in September 2023) at the time of the "two-state relations" declaration, have all disappeared.

For instance, Article 9 of the previous Socialist Constitution, which stated, "We will strive to achieve the complete victory of socialism and realize national reunification on the principles of independence, peaceful reunification, and great national unity," has been deleted.

The description of the task of reunification in the preamble has also been removed, along with the achievements of predecessors Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

As Chairman Kim announced in January 2024, a territorial clause has been newly established.

Article 2, newly established along with Article 1 on the national designation "Democratic People's Republic of Korea," defines the territory as: "The territory includes the land bordering the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation to the north, and the Republic of Korea to the south, as well as the territorial waters and airspace established on the basis thereof."

However, specific details of the southern land and maritime borders were not mentioned.

Professor Lee Jung-chul of Seoul National University, a North Korea political expert who attended the briefing, commented, "There are parts that are difficult for us to compromise on once maritime border discussions arise," and interpreted, "The omission of this part indicates that North Korea also did not want to create such disputes."

Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea and the North's claimed defense line [Yonhap News Archive Graphic]

While the "two-state relations" line declared by Chairman Kim at the end of 2023 has been generally reflected, contrary to Chairman Kim's prior announcement, there was no declaration of South Korea as an "enemy state."

In January 2024, at the Supreme People's Assembly, Chairman Kim stated, "It is right to explicitly state in the relevant provision that we will strengthen education and indoctrination to consider the Republic of Korea as the foremost enemy state, an unchangeable enemy."

Combative expressions found in the previous constitution, such as "imperialist aggressors," "liberated from exploitation and oppression," and "sabotage activities of internal and external hostile elements," have also disappeared.

The authority and status of the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission have been significantly strengthened.

The Chairman of the State Affairs Commission appears first in the order of state organs, and this position is defined as the "head of state." This is the first time in North Korea's constitution that the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission has been placed before the Supreme People's Assembly.

With the deletion of the state-building and unification achievements of previous leaders, Chairman Kim's ruling ideology, "people-centered ideology," has been explicitly stated in the preamble.

The Chairman's exclusive command authority over nuclear forces has been explicitly stated for the first time, and a provision for delegation has also been newly established.

In addition, not only have "the Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly" and "the Premier of the Cabinet" been specified within the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission's authority to "appoint and dismiss key officials," but the Supreme People's Assembly's power to recall the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission has also been abolished, effectively eliminating nominal checks and balances.

Choe Ryong Hae bows to Kim Jong Un [Yonhap News] 

Socialist welfare clauses that were out of touch with reality, such as "free medical treatment," "a country without taxes," and "no unemployment," have also all been confirmed as deleted.

"Veterans of overseas military operations" have been newly added to the categories of individuals receiving special protection from society, alongside "revolutionary fighters" and "meritorious servicemen." This signifies the honoring of casualties from the war in Russia and Ukraine.

In the foreign policy clause, "safeguarding national interests" has been added as an "immutable principle" in addition to the basic ideology of "independence, peace, and friendship."

Experts have analyzed that the new North Korean constitution is a result of an effort to highlight an image of a "normal state," considering its clause composition and the level of expression used.

The constitutional amendments, including deletions, additions, and revisions confirmed this time, have been reflected across three constitutional revisions (January 2024, January 2025, and March 2026) following Chairman Kim's declaration of "two-state relations" at the end of 2023.

While the clause on national reunification is presumed to have been deleted during the October 2024 constitutional revision, the exact timing of each clause's amendment was not confirmed at the briefing held today.

Professor Lee evaluated, "Although a territorial clause has been newly established, and expressions and regulations emphasizing statehood have been introduced, the absence of hostile relations or a belligerent state character offers a hopeful assessment that an infrastructure for peaceful coexistence between the South and North could be established through this constitutional draft."