North Korea Adopts Law Mandating Automatic Nuclear Strike if Kim Jong Un Is Killed

North Korea has updated its constitution to include a provision requiring the military to automatically launch a nuclear strike if the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is killed, according to The Telegraph on May 11.

In the revised constitution, Kim Jong Un is now identified as the President of the State Affairs Commission and is explicitly designated as the head of state. The President of the State Affairs Commission commands the nuclear forces of the DPRK.

Kim Jong Un's status as the sole commander of these nuclear forces was separately emphasized by law. If the nuclear command system is threatened by an enemy attack, “a nuclear strike is carried out automatically and immediately.”

South Korean estimates suggest that the DPRK possesses approximately 60 nuclear warheads and about 2,000 kg of highly enriched uranium.

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The amendments were adopted on March 22 during the first session of the 15th Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang. The changes may have been prompted by joint American-Israeli strikes on Iran, which resulted in the death of the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and members of his circle, according to The Telegraph.

Russian orientalist Andrei Lankov stated that Pyongyang viewed the events in Iran as a threat and decided to officially establish a retaliatory mechanism in the event of a “decapitation” of the leadership.

Earlier, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said North Korea is capable of producing fissile material for up to 20 nuclear warheads annually, underscoring the continued expansion of Pyongyang’s nuclear program despite international sanctions.

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