North Korea reportedly amends its constitution to require an automatic nuclear strike if leader Kim Jong Un is assassinated or incapacitated, or if the command-and-control system for nuclear forces is threatened by hostile attacks. Multiple outlets cite disclosures from South Korean intelligence, including the National Intelligence Service, that brief senior officials on the details of the change. The update is described as being adopted during the first session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly in Pyongyang on March 22 and reported as a revision to North Korea’s nuclear policy framework, including language stating a nuclear strike would be launched automatically and immediately when nuclear command-and-control is placed in danger.
Other reported constitutional amendments include broader changes to governance and national territorial references, and the documents are said to formalize Kim Jong Un’s role in command authority over nuclear forces. Sources also link the timing to heightened security concerns in the region, pointing to recent leadership-targeted attacks elsewhere and the need for reliable retaliation measures. North Korea has not publicly commented on the reports, while South Korea says it will review implications of the changes.
