North Korea Drops Unification Goal, Tightens Kim Jong Un’s Grip In Revised Party Charter

North Korea has removed references to “peaceful unification” with South Korea from the revised charter of its ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, formally reflecting Pyongyang’s shift towards treating the two Koreas as separate and hostile states. The full text of the charter was released publicly on Thursday by Seoul’s Institute for National Security Strategy, providing the first detailed look at the changes that South Korean intelligence authorities had previously linked to a June 2024 revision.

The revised charter removes language related to peaceful reunification and also eliminates references to the US military presence in South Korea and “outside forces”. The changes are consistent with North Korea’s broader policy shift under leader Kim Jong-un, who has increasingly rejected the idea of the two Koreas sharing a common national identity. The move marks a significant departure from Pyongyang’s longstanding position that eventual reunification should remain a national objective.

The document also places greater emphasis on the authority of Kim Jong-un as general secretary of the Workers’ Party. It details powers including convening party meetings, appointing and dismissing officials and dissolving party departments. References to achievements associated with Kim’s predecessors, state founder Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, have also been removed, a change viewed by analysts as reinforcing Kim Jong-un’s position at the centre of the political system.

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Kim had ordered constitutional changes in January 2024 after declaring that peaceful unification with South Korea was no longer achievable. North Korea later confirmed constitutional revisions in October that year. The latest party charter changes further institutionalise that policy direction, placing inter-Korean relations within a framework that treats Seoul as a separate state rather than a counterpart in a future unified Korea.

Other amendments include provisions allowing the party to suspend internal elections during wartime. The minimum age for party membership has also been raised from 18 to 20. The revised charter incorporates changes adopted at the Workers’ Party’s ninth congress in February, indicating that the restructuring of party rules extends beyond inter-Korean policy and also affects the organisation’s internal functioning.

One question remains unresolved over the position of first secretary, a post created in 2021 to act as Kim’s official proxy. The Institute for National Security Strategy believes Jo Yong-won, a secretary of the party’s Central Committee, may be occupying the position. The institute described the latest changes as part of Pyongyang’s transition into what it termed the “Kim Jong-un Era 2.0”, reflecting efforts to consolidate the leader’s authority after nearly 15 years in power.

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