Borders, nukes and welfare: Inside North Korea’s purported constitution

This week’s NK News Podcast looks at a newly revealed document that appears to show how North Korea amended its constitution to redefine relations with South Korea. Korea Risk Group Executive Director Jeongmin Kim discusses the document’s apparent removal of unification language, its new territorial clause and why Pyongyang may be keeping maritime boundaries deliberately vague. She also delves into what the changes could mean for Kim Jong Un’s leadership, including the trimming of references to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the use of “head of state” language and constitutional wording on nuclear command delegation. Finally, she discusses how seriously to treat the unverified document, as well as why she disagrees with Seoul’s reading that the text may suggest a less hostile posture. In the second half, Peter Ward joins the podcast to examine what the purported revisions suggest about life inside North Korea. He explains how the document appears to scale back state promises on food, housing, health care and taxation, while reaffirming central control over major parts of the economy. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.