North Korea removes reunification goal from party charter, declares two hostile states

North Korea has formally removed its goal of reunification with South Korea from the charter of its ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, while expanding leader Kim Jong-un’s authority and further erasing references to the legacy of his predecessors. The revised charter, released in full for the first time on Thursday by South Korea’s Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), provides the clearest documentary evidence yet of Pyongyang’s shift towards treating the two Koreas as “two hostile states.” The document removes references to “peaceful reunification of the country,” “united front,” “South Korea,” “great national unity” and pursuing political goals on a nationwide scale. It also deletes language calling for the withdrawal of US forces from South Korea and opposing foreign interference in the South. The changes reflect a policy shift announced by Kim in late 2023, when he declared that relations with Seoul were between two hostile states rather than two parts of a single nation. In January 2024, Kim called for constitutional provisions on peaceful reunification to be removed, with Pyongyang later confirming that the constitution had been amended. The revised party charter also strengthens Kim’s position within the ruling system. It removes the two remaining paragraphs describing the achievements and legacy of state founder Kim Il-sung and his successor Kim Jong-il, further shifting the party’s identity towards Kim Jong-un and his leadership. The charter now spells out the powers of the WPK general secretary in greater detail, including the authority to convene party meetings, appoint and dismiss officials, expel party members and dissolve party departments. The INSS said the changes reinforce Kim’s “unitary leadership system” as he approaches 15 years in power and enters what it calls the “Kim Jong-un Era 2.0.” The revised rules also allow the party to bypass internal election procedures during wartime and raise the minimum age for party membership from 18 to 20. The INSS said the change restores the original membership threshold introduced when the party was founded in 1945. One question remains unresolved: who currently holds the position of WPK first secretary, a post created in 2021 to act on behalf of the general secretary. North Korea has never publicly identified the officeholder, but the INSS assessed that senior party official Jo Yong-won is likely serving in the role.