SEOUL 鈥 North Korea has revised its constitution to define its territory as bordering South Korea and remove references to reunification, according to a draft of the text reviewed by Reuters, codifying leader Kim Jong Un鈥檚 push to treat the two Koreas as separate states.
The revision, believed to have been adopted at a March meeting of the Supreme People鈥檚 Assembly, Pyongyang鈥檚 rubber-stamp legislature, marks the first time North Korea has added a territorial clause to its constitution, Lee Jung-chul, a Seoul National University professor, told a briefing at South Korea鈥檚 Unification Ministry on Wednesday.
The new Article 2 says North Korea鈥檚 territory includes land 鈥渂ordering the People鈥檚 Republic of China and the Russian Federation to the north and the Republic of Korea to the south,鈥 as well as territorial waters and airspace based on that land, according to the text.
The clause also says North Korea 鈥渨ill never tolerate any infringement鈥 of its territory, but does not specify the location of its border with South Korea or explicitly mention disputed maritime boundaries such as the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea.
The revised constitution also designates Mr. Kim, as chairman of the State Affairs Commission, as North Korea鈥檚 head of state, replacing previous language that described the post as the country鈥檚 supreme leader who represents the state.
It also explicitly states that command over North Korea鈥檚 nuclear forces rests with the State Affairs Commission chairman, according to the text, formally placing authority over the country鈥檚 nuclear arsenal in Mr. Kim鈥檚 hands.
A separate defense clause describes North Korea as a 鈥渞esponsible nuclear weapons state鈥 and says it will advance nuclear weapons development to safeguard the country鈥檚 survival and development rights, deter war and protect regional and global peace and stability.
According to South Korean media, Mr. Lee said the omission of a specific inter-Korean border suggested Pyongyang may be trying to avoid immediately creating a new source of friction, even as it embeds Mr. Kim鈥檚 鈥渢wo hostile states鈥 doctrine in the country鈥檚 highest law.
Mr. Kim called聽in January 2024 for the constitution to be amended to define South Korea as the North鈥檚 鈥減rimary foe and invariable principal enemy鈥 and to state that North Korean territory was separate from the South.
Pyongyang has pursued a more hostile policy toward Seoul in recent years, while rebuffing repeated overtures for dialogue from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
North Korea鈥檚 permanent UN mission did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 鈥 Reuters
