North Korea Removes Unification Goals from Ruling Party Charter

North Korea has formally removed references to the goal of reunification with South Korea from the charter of the Workers Party of Korea. The full text of the revised charter was released on Thursday by the Institute for National Security Strategy, a South Korean think tank. The document reflects a policy shift initiated in late 2023 that defines relations with Seoul as those between two hostile states rather than two parts of a single nation.

According to the reports, terms such as peaceful reunification, South Korea, and great national unity have been deleted from the charter. These changes follow previous amendments to the North Korean constitution and a June 2024 revision of the party charter. The updated text also removes calls for the withdrawal of US forces from South Korea.

Simultaneously, the revisions strengthen the authority of Kim Jong Un. The charter removes descriptions of the achievements and legacies of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. It specifically outlines the powers of the general secretary, including the authority to convene meetings and appoint officials. This shift is seen as an effort to reorganize the party identity around Kim Jong Un's own leadership.

While both reports agree on the factual changes to the document, they differ in framing. The center left source emphasizes the strengthening of a system centered on Kim Jong Un. The center right source frames the revisions as the institutionalization of a hostile state policy and a deliberate effort by Kim to establish a political identity distinct from his predecessors.