North Korea rewrites its constitution to erase any mention of reunification
North Korea has revised its constitution, according to media reports (Photo: JEON HEON-KYUN/Pool via REUTERS)
North Korea has updated its constitution, striking all references to reunification with South Korea from the text, Reuters reported on May 6 after reviewing the document.
Under the revised text, North Korea's territory is now defined as land "bordering the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation to the north and the Republic of Korea to the south," along with the territorial waters and airspace over that territory, per Article 2.
Despite the updated language, South Korea is still formally designated as a "hostile state" in the document.
The constitutional amendments were reportedly adopted in March 2026 at a session of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, according to Lee Jung-chul, a Seoul National University professor, who disclosed the changes on May 6.
The revised constitution also introduces a new formal title for Kim Jong Un: Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, designated as head of state — replacing the previous title of Supreme Leader.
The document describes North Korea as a nuclear-armed state and specifies that command over its nuclear forces is exercised personally by the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission — that is, Kim Jong Un.
The constitutional changes follow remarks by Kim on April 27, in which he pledged that North Korea would continue to "fully support" Russia's policies aimed at "protecting its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security interests."
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