North Korea Embeds Nuclear Status In Constitution

North Korea has formally incorporated its status as a nuclear power into its constitution, with leader Kim Jong Un emphasizing the need for further advancements in atomic weaponry to counter perceived threats from the United States. State media reported this development on Thursday. Despite enduring international sanctions in response to its nuclear weapons program, North Korea has conducted a record number of missile tests this year, disregarding warnings from the United States, South Korea, and their allies. Diplomatic efforts to persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear arsenal have faltered, and this constitutional amendment follows Kim's declaration last year that North Korea had achieved an "irreversible" status as a nuclear weapons state. During a meeting of the State People's Assembly, Kim declared that North Korea's "nuclear force-building policy has been made permanent as the basic law of the state, which no one is allowed to flout," according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Kim cited the need for nuclear weapons to counter what he perceived as an existential threat from the United States and its allies. He pointed to the U.S.'s "maximized nuclear war threats" stemming from joint drills and the permanent deployment of strategic nuclear assets near the Korean peninsula. He also criticized the enhanced security cooperation between Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo as the "worst actual threat." As a result, Kim stressed the urgency of accelerating the modernization of nuclear weapons and diversifying nuclear strike capabilities. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno condemned North Korea's atomic weapons program as "absolutely unacceptable," emphasizing the threat it poses to regional and international peace and security. South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs joined counterparts from the U.S. and Japan in strongly condemning the constitutional amendment, reaffirming their commitment to creating an environment that compels North Korea to denuclearize. With North Korea's nuclear status now enshrined in its constitution, the prospects of convincing the nation to abandon its atomic weapons appear increasingly challenging, leading experts to believe that denuclearization efforts face significant obstacles. Yang Moon-jin, President of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, noted that Kim's speech solidified the permanence of North Korea's nuclear force, further delaying any potential denuclearization.