North Korea removes peaceful reunification from ruling party charter

Thursday 03 - 13:20

By: Azzat Manal

North Korea removes peaceful reunification from ruling party charter

North Korea has removed references to “peaceful reunification” with South Korea from the full version of the ruling Workers’ Party charter, reinforcing Pyongyang’s increasingly firm position that the two Koreas should be treated as separate and hostile states.

The complete text of the charter was recently disclosed for the first time by South Korea’s Institute for National Security Strategy. The document reflects a broader transformation in North Korea’s approach to inter-Korean relations, following leader Kim Jong Un’s decision to abandon the long-standing goal of reunification.

South Korean intelligence agencies had previously reported that the party charter was revised in June 2024 to reflect the new policy. The version now made public also contains changes approved during the Workers’ Party’s ninth congress in February.

The revisions come after Kim declared in January 2024 that peaceful reunification with South Korea was no longer realistic. Pyongyang subsequently moved to revise its constitution, with the amendments approved in October of the same year.

The updated party charter also removes references to the presence of U.S. forces in South Korea and to “external forces.” Analysts view the changes as further evidence that Pyongyang is seeking to establish a political and legal framework based on the idea that North and South Korea are entirely separate states rather than parts of a single national community.

The document simultaneously strengthens the institutional authority of Kim Jong Un as general secretary of the Workers’ Party. His powers include convening party meetings, appointing and dismissing officials and reorganizing or dissolving party departments. A new provision also allows the party to suspend internal elections during wartime.

The charter raises the minimum age for party membership from 18 to 20, while leaving unclear the identity of the official currently serving as first secretary. The position was created at the party’s eighth congress in 2021 and was intended to function as Kim’s formal deputy.

The Institute for National Security Strategy believes Jo Yong Won, a secretary of the Workers’ Party Central Committee, is likely to hold the position. The uncertainty surrounding the post comes as Pyongyang seeks to further consolidate the political system around Kim Jong Un.

The latest changes are part of a broader effort to institutionalize what analysts describe as a new phase of Kim’s leadership. Nearly 15 years after he came to power, North Korea appears increasingly focused on reinforcing his authority while reducing references to the political achievements and legacy of his predecessors, including his grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung and his father Kim Jong Il.

The removal of reunification language marks a significant symbolic shift in the relationship between the two Koreas. For decades, reunification had remained an official objective on both sides of the peninsula, despite repeated periods of confrontation and limited cooperation.

By formally eliminating such references from key political documents, Pyongyang is signaling that its relationship with Seoul is increasingly being defined through separation, rivalry and confrontation rather than a shared national future.