North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been officially reappointed as the president of state affairs, according to a report by state media KCNA on 23 March. This reappointment follows the convening of the first session of the isolated nation’s Supreme People’s Assembly, which took place a day earlier in the capital city of Pyongyang. The assembly serves as North Korea’s rubber-stamp legislature, traditionally gathering to formally endorse and codify state policies into national law.
The high-level meeting was scheduled to address several critical legislative matters, including the proposal of amendments and supplements to the socialist Constitution. Beyond constitutional changes, the session also focused on the election of the chairman for the State Affairs Commission and the appointment of other key figures within the state leadership bodies. Such legislative gatherings typically follow a ruling Workers’ Party Congress to ensure that party directives are seamlessly integrated into the country’s legal framework.
A central component of the assembly’s agenda included a comprehensive review of the national economic five-year plan. This plan was originally unveiled during the ninth party congress held in February, and the current session aims to assess its progress and implementation strategies. KCNA indicated that the economic goals remain a priority for the leadership as they navigate the country’s development objectives amidst ongoing international scrutiny and domestic challenges.
Considerable international attention has been directed toward whether the assembly will officially revise the Constitution to formalise a significant shift in foreign policy. Observers are particularly focused on the potential legalisation of Kim Jong Un’s “two hostile states” stance regarding South Korea. This policy represents a departure from previous diplomatic positions, signalling a more confrontational approach toward their southern neighbour within the official state doctrine.
In recent years, the North Korean leader has notably abandoned the long-standing national goal of achieving peaceful reunification with the South. By redefining South Korea as a hostile state, the administration has moved toward a more permanent division of the peninsula. If these changes are formalised within the socialist Constitution during this session, it would mark a historic and legal shift in the geopolitical landscape of the region.
