North Korea Amends Constitution, Adds Territorial Clause and Nuclear Authority

In a significant constitutional overhaul, North Korea has formally enshrined its territorial claims and, perhaps more tellingly, expunged references to national reunification. The revised constitution, as analyzed by experts, now clearly delineates the DPRK's territory, extending to its borders with China and Russia in the north and South Korea in the south, encompassing territorial waters and airspace. This move solidifies the state's assertion over its defined domain, emphasizing its sovereignty with an unequivocal declaration against any infringement.

Equally striking is the removal of language pertaining to 'North Half' and 'national reunification' from the preamble and main text. This signals a definitive shift in Pyongyang's approach to inter-Korean relations, moving away from the long-standing goal of unification towards a framework of two distinct states. While the term 'hostile' is notably absent in the new constitutional text concerning inter-state relations, the very act of removing reunification clauses speaks volumes about the current trajectory.

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In this constitution, the expression 'hostile' could not be found. While a territorial clause was newly established to emphasize statehood, expressions like hostile relations or relations as warring states did not appear.

Furthermore, the amended constitution now explicitly vests the chairman of the State Affairs Commission—currently Kim Jong Un—with the authority over the nation's nuclear arsenal. This unprecedented inclusion codifies the leader's ultimate control over nuclear weapons and the potential delegation of their use. This constitutional amendment, alongside the removal of references to founding leaders' achievements, underscores a strategic recalibration of North Korea's legal and political identity, prioritizing state security and the leader's command authority.

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The command of the nuclear weapons of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea shall be in the hands of the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea may delegate the authority to use nuclear weapons to the nuclear weapon command organization.