North Korea has revised its constitution to mandate a retaliatory nuclear strike should its leader, Kim Jong Un, be assassinated, as reported by The Telegraph.
This constitutional amendment comes at a time of rising global tensions following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and other high-ranking officials in a recent military conflict.
Fox News Digital had earlier reported that Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran, part of a joint military operation conducted by the United States and Israel earlier this year.
The update to North Korea’s constitution was ratified during a session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, which convened on March 22 in Pyongyang, according to reports.
On April 12, 2026, North Korean state media announced the launch of two cruise missiles and three anti-ship missiles from the destroyer Choe Hyon.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) recently briefed senior government officials about this constitutional update, the report stated.
The revised policy outlines procedures for retaliatory action if North Korea’s leadership is incapacitated or killed.
“If the command-and-control system over the state’s nuclear forces is placed in danger by hostile forces’ attacks … a nuclear strike shall be launched automatically and immediately,” the updated provision states.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech at the inauguration ceremony of Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang on Feb. 15, 2026. (KCNA via KNS/AFP)
Reuters previously reported that North Korea revised its constitution to define its territory as bordering South Korea and remove references to reunification, reflecting Kim’s push to formally treat the two Koreas as separate states.
That marked the first time North Korea included a territorial clause in its constitution.
Last month, Kim pledged to further strengthen the country’s nuclear capabilities while maintaining a hard-line stance toward South Korea, which he has called the “most hostile” state.
Kim Jong Un reportedly observed missile test launches in North Korea on Sunday, April 12, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service)
Kim has also accused the United States of “state terrorism and aggression,” and signaled North Korea could take a more active role in opposition to Washington amid rising global tensions.
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