This text is from the fifth version (April–June 2026) of 38 North’s quarterly product, North Korea Briefing, that screens key inner developments in North Korea. For the complete collection, click on right here.
In the course of the second quarter of 2026, the South Korean authorities launched North Korea’s newest structure, whereas North Korea itself held some important political occasions. The constitutional amendments have been designed to additional strengthen Kim Jong Un’s monolithic management. Kim’s speeches on the inauguration of the Memorial Museum of Fight Feats on the Abroad Army Operations and the ceremony commemorating the eightieth anniversary of the Central Cadres Coaching College of the Staff’ Celebration of Korea (WPK) each underscored the significance of absolute loyalty to Kim Jong Un and the Celebration. On the June Celebration plenary assembly, North Korea changed the director of the Celebration’s Group and Steerage Division (OGD) after simply 4 months within the position. Taken collectively, these developments point out that Kim Jong Un is consolidating his rule by means of institutional, ideological, and organizational mechanisms concurrently.
Political Revisions within the Newly Launched Structure
On Could 6, 2026, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification launched the complete textual content of North Korea’s newest structure. As that is the primary publicly obtainable model since Pyongyang’s September 2023 revision, it incorporates three subsequent rounds of constitutional amendments.[1]
The revised structure institutionalizes Kim Jong Un’s steadily increasing absolute authority for the reason that Eighth Celebration Congress in 2021. In contrast to the earlier structure, Chapter 6 (“State Organs”) locations the “State Affairs Fee (SAC) Chairman” earlier than the “Supreme Individuals’s Meeting (SPA).”[2] In doing so, it elevates the workplace, held by Kim Jong Un, above the constitutionally designated supreme organ of state energy.
The structure additionally redesignates the SAC chairman from the “supreme chief” to the “head of state.” New powers beneath Article 90 embody the SAC chairman’s authority to require the resignation of SPA deputies; veto legal guidelines, decrees, choices, and directives adopted by the SPA or its Standing Committee; confer state honors; obtain ambassadors’ credentials; and appoint or dismiss “vital state cadres”—together with the SPA chairman and cupboard premier—whereas the SPA is in recess.
The amendments additional strengthen Kim Jong Un’s cult of character and his monolithic management system. The preamble removes all references glorifying Kim Il Sung’s and Kim Jong Il’s achievements in state-building and revolution. Of their place, it provides provisions institutionalizing Kim Jong Un’s absolute authority and requiring unconditional obedience to his management, such because the “institution of the chief’s monolithic management system,” the “group of all state affairs in response to the chief’s concepts and intentions,” and the “resolute protection of the chief’s state-building concepts and accomplishments.” The structure additionally formalizes Kim’s “people-first precept” as the basic guideline of state actions.
Context and Implications
Below the revised structure, Kim’s authority clearly supersedes each the Celebration and the state. The amendments codify his authority throughout the legislative, judicial, and government branches whereas eliminating the SPA’s energy to recall the SAC chairman, additional diminishing the authority of what’s nominally the state’s highest organ of energy.
Extra broadly, the revised structure aligns the SAC chairman’s powers with these Kim has exercised as WPK basic secretary. Below the 2023 structure, the SAC chairman might appoint or dismiss “vital state cadres,” however the provision didn’t explicitly embody the SPA chairman or the cupboard premier. The revised structure removes this ambiguity by expressly authorizing the SAC chairman, whereas the SPA is in recess, to droop, appoint, or dismiss each officers. In doing so, it resolves a possible battle between the SAC chairman’s personnel authority and the SPA’s constitutional powers.
The amendments are additionally important symbolically. By eradicating references to Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il whereas strengthening provisions centered on Kim Jong Un’s monolithic management system, the structure institutionalizes the transformation of what had lengthy been offered as Kim Il Sung’s and Kim Jong Il’s state into Kim Jong Un’s state.
This mirrors a broader development in North Korean propaganda. In recent times, official narratives have shifted away from the glorification of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il and more and more centered on Kim Jong Un’s personal achievements and beliefs. Their signature insurance policies have likewise given method to Kim Jong Un’s personal priorities, corresponding to nuclear drive growth, regional growth, and the 2 Koreas coverage.
Russia Battle Memorial and Celebration Cadre Coaching: Reinforcing Loyalty
In April, Kim Jong Un delivered speeches on the inauguration of the Memorial Museum of Fight Feats on the Abroad Army Operations for North Korean troopers killed within the Russia-Ukraine conflict and on the ceremony marking the eightieth anniversary of Celebration Central Cadres Coaching College.
On the memorial’s inauguration, attended by senior Russian officers, Kim emphasised that DPRK-Russia friendship had been “written in blood.” He argued that North Korean forces combating alongside Russian troops had helped thwart US and Western “hegemonic forces’ ambition for a conflict,” justifying Pyongyang’s navy deployment to Russia. He additionally portrayed the fallen troopers as heroes whose sacrifice exemplified absolute loyalty to the chief and the Celebration. On the Celebration Central Cadres Coaching College anniversary ceremony, Kim confused the significance of coaching Celebration cadres and outlined the varsity’s future instructional priorities.
Context and Implications
Though completely different in function, each occasions bolstered loyalty to the chief and the Celebration.
Kim personally oversaw building of the museum over the previous yr, underscoring its political significance. Past serving as a memorial to North Korean troopers killed within the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it displays the regime’s effort to legitimize Pyongyang’s navy involvement and elevate the fallen as exemplars of loyalty and sacrifice.
Kim’s speech on the Celebration Central Cadres Coaching College highlighted the establishment’s position in cultivating the Celebration’s elite. The varsity graduates solely about 200 fastidiously chosen cadres every year, lots of whom go on to occupy senior positions throughout the Celebration. Kim confused that cadre coaching is inseparable from the Celebration’s survival and growth, and reaffirmed the varsity’s mission of cultivating officers who embody the Celebration’s ideology, uphold its monolithic management system, and implement Celebration insurance policies with absolute loyalty beneath all circumstances.
Celebration Management Reshuffle and Jo Yong Received’s Return
The June plenary assembly reviewed implementation of Celebration and state insurance policies throughout the first half of 2026, mentioned measures to develop the coal business, and performed personnel adjustments throughout the Celebration management. In his concluding remarks, Kim Jong Un outlined each short- and long-term priorities for the Celebration.
Essentially the most notable political growth was the dismissal of Kim Jae Ryong as Celebration Secretary for Group and director of the Celebration’s OGD after solely 4 months in workplace. He was changed by his predecessor, Jo Yong Received, who had held the place since June 2022, earlier than Jo was elected chairman of the SPA Standing Committee on the SPA session in March.
Context and Implications
The plenary assembly report didn’t disclose the explanation for Kim Jae Ryong’s dismissal. Nevertheless, it did say the vice director for organizational affairs of the Korean Individuals’s Military’s Common Political Bureau, an workplace overseen by the OGD, might be investigated on corruption fees. Kim Jae Ryong was subsequently seemingly held accountable for shortcomings in organizational oversight. By returning Jo to go the OGD so quickly after his switch to the state equipment, Kim signaled continued confidence in his potential to supervise the Celebration’s strongest and politically delicate group.
The director of the OGD, the Celebration’s strongest division chargeable for organizing, guiding, and inspecting all lower-level Celebration and state organizations, is in impact North Korea’s precise second-in-command. Kim Jae Ryong’s sudden dismissal is a transparent illustration of how pervasive the laxity of self-discipline amongst Celebration cadres in North Korea has grow to be, together with abuse of energy, bureaucratism, corruption, and illicit wealth accumulation.
This chapter was initially drafted in Korean. The preliminary translation was produced utilizing AI instruments and subsequently reviewed word-for-word and refined by a bilingual subject-matter knowledgeable to make sure accuracy and readability.
