North Korea excises reunification language from ruling party charter

North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party of Korea has published a revised charter that eliminates any language about peaceful reunification, a united front, South Korea, or a nationwide political agenda, reflecting a shift toward treating the two Koreas as hostile states. The charter also removes references to withdrawing US forces and opposing foreign interference in the South. In addition to these policy changes, the document expands the general secretary’s authority, specifying powers to call party meetings, appoint or dismiss officials, expel members and dissolve departments, and to suspend internal elections in wartime.

Membership eligibility now requires individuals to be at least 20 years old, restoring the original threshold from 1945. The revisions coincide with Kim Jong-un’s “Era 2.0,” marking his 15th year in power, and further marginalize the legacies of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. The Institute for National Security Strategy notes the charter’s changes underscore a more unilateral leadership model, though one outlet holder of the first secretary post remains unconfirmed, with Jo Yong-won considered a likely candidate.