North Korea's New Constitution Removes 'Socialism' Term; Experts: Seeking Normalization

(Central News Agency reporter Yang Chi-fang, Seoul, 6th, special correspondent) North Korea's revised constitutional content was exposed today, with a new 'territorial clause' established, and expressions related to reunification policy removed. The 'Socialist Constitution' was also renamed 'Constitution.' South Korean experts analyze that North Korea is attempting to continuously promote 'normalization' as a state.

According to a News1 report from South Korea, Professor Lee Jeong-chul of Seoul National University's Department of Political Science and International Relations analyzed at an expert seminar held today that in the newly revised North Korean constitution, expressions from the preamble and main text such as 'northern half,' 'reunification of the fatherland,' and 'complete victory of socialism,' which reflected a common ethnicity perspective between the North and South, and concepts related to reunification policy, have all disappeared.

The new territorial clause stipulates that the territory of North Korea borders the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation to the north, and the Republic of Korea to the south, with the territorial seas and airspace established on this basis. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea will never tolerate any infringement of its territory. However, North Korea did not explicitly specify the scope of its territory, territorial seas, and airspace in the constitution.

Lee Jeong-chul stated that the first impression given by North Korea's revised constitution is that North Korea is designing for 'normalization.' Lee Jeong-chul cited as an example that North Korea has officially changed the name of its constitution from 'Socialist Constitution' to 'Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.' He said: 'The direction of this constitutional amendment is to remove ideological expressions and adopt a structure similar to the constitutions of other countries.'

In North Korea's new constitution, the term 'socialism' has also been largely removed. Lee Jeong-chul pointed out that with the removal of the expression 'socialist state' from the preamble, North Korea seems to be trying to make itself a normal state with a general constitutional form. Lee Jeong-chul also mentioned that from the economic measures, it also reflects that North Korea has written the reality of the spread of market principles into the constitution, rather than continuing to emphasize socialism reliant on state support.

This constitutional amendment in North Korea has also significantly increased the power of State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un. He has been redefined from the original 'supreme leader' to 'head of state,' and the power of the Supreme People's Assembly to 'recall (dismiss) the State Affairs Chairman,' which it originally held, has been removed. In addition, the State Affairs Chairman's right to use nuclear weapons has been written into the constitution for the first time, and the preamble of the new constitution has also removed all achievements of previous leaders. (Editor: Tien Jui-hua) 1150506

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