Pyongyang: North Korea has amended its constitution to define its territorial boundaries, placing it alongside South Korea and removing provisions regarding reunification. This legislation is seen as a move by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un to treat the two Koreas as distinctly separate nations.
According to Thai News Agency, Professor Lee Jung-chul of Seoul National University revealed at a briefing at South Korea's Ministry of Unification that the amendment, believed to have been approved by North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly in March, is the first time a territorial provision has been added to the constitution. The newly amended Article 2 states that North Korea's territory comprises land areas bordering China and Russia, and South Korea to the south, as well as waters and airspace along those territorial boundaries.
The provisions also state that North Korea will not tolerate any violation of its territory. However, the law does not specifically define the location of the border with South Korea, nor does it explicitly mention disputed maritime boundaries such as the Limit North Line in the Yellow Sea. Furthermore, the amended constitution designates Kim Jong-un, as chairman of the State Affairs Council, as the head of state of North Korea, replacing the previous term "supreme leader".
The legislation explicitly states that the authority to command North Korea's nuclear forces rests directly with the Chairman of the State Affairs Council, formally placing Kim Jong-un in control of the country's nuclear arsenal. Another defense provision defines North Korea as a responsible nuclear-armed state, vowing to continue developing nuclear weapons to protect its right to survival and development, deter war, and safeguard regional and global peace and security.
South Korean media, citing comments from Mr. Lee, reported that North Korea's omission of a specific border between the two Koreas may be an attempt to avoid immediately sparking a new conflict, even if it enshrines Kim Jong-un's two-states-enemies principle in the country's supreme law. Previously, in January 2024, Kim Jong-un called for constitutional amendments to designate South Korea as the primary and irreplaceable enemy, stating that North Korean territory is clearly separated from the South.