According to The Telegraph, North Korea amended its constitution in a move reported to mandate automatic nuclear retaliation if the country’s leadership or its nuclear command-and-control system is incapacitated. The revision was reportedly approved at the Supreme People’s Assembly session that opened on March 22 and has been briefed to South Korea’s NIS. Reuters previously noted related constitutional changes that redefine territory and remove reunification language. The reports tie the amendment to heightened regional tensions.
North Korea Amends Constitution To Require Automatic Nuclear Retaliation If Leadership Is Killed, Reports Say
North Korea updates constitution to require automatic nuclear strike if Kim Jong Un is assassinated: report
North Korea has amended its constitution to include a provision that—according to media reports—would trigger an automatic nuclear retaliation if the country’s leadership is incapacitated or killed. The change was reportedly approved during a session of the Supreme People’s Assembly that opened on March 22 in Pyongyang.
What the Amendment Says
The Telegraph reported that the revised provision directs immediate nuclear action if the nation’s nuclear command-and-control system is jeopardized by hostile attacks. The amendment is quoted as stating:
"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."
Context And Reactions
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) briefed senior government officials this week on the constitutional change, the report says. The Telegraph framed the amendment against a backdrop of heightened international tensions, citing reports about recent strikes in the region that some outlets have linked to a broader escalation.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech at the inauguration ceremony of Saeppyol Street in Pyongyang on Feb. 15, 2026.(Getty Images)
Separately, Reuters previously reported that North Korea also revised its constitution to include a territorial clause defining its border with South Korea and removed language about reunification—steps that reflect Pyongyang’s move to treat the two Koreas as separate states for the first time in its constitution.
Leadership Rhetoric
Kim Jong Un has publicly pledged to strengthen North Korea’s nuclear forces and has maintained a hard-line posture toward South Korea and the United States, accusing Washington of "state terrorism and aggression" in recent remarks reported by state media. The constitutional amendment, if accurately reported, would formalize an extreme retaliatory posture in the event top leaders or the nuclear command structure are taken out.
Sources: The Telegraph; Reuters; reporting contributions attributed to Fox News Digital and The Associated Press in related coverage.
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