North Korea Changes Flag and Constitution, Recognises South Korea as Separate State

North Korea’s newly public constitution marks a fundamental change in its relationship with South Korea, while retaining the familiar design of its national flag.

A historic constitutional shift

North Korea has publicly released a revised constitution that identifies South Korea as a separate neighbouring state, removes its longstanding commitment to reunification and changes the proportions of its national flag. The amendments were adopted on 23 March 2026 and the text was posted on the state-run Naenara website on 11 November. The disclosure, rather than a new November vote, is the latest development.

South Korea is now named as a neighbouring country

Article 2 describes North Korean territory as bordering China and Russia to the north and the Republic of Korea to the south, together with the associated territorial waters and airspace. This language departs from the previous constitutional emphasis on a unified Korean nation. The text removes references to peaceful reunification and national unity, but it does not explicitly call South Korea the country’s principal enemy or define every disputed boundary.

What changed in the national flag?

Article 166 changes the national flag’s height-to-width ratio from 1:2 to 1:1.65, the first such revision since North Korea was established in 1948. The flag is less elongated, but its familiar red central band, narrow white stripes, blue bands and red star inside a white circle remain. The government has not publicly explained why it selected the new ratio. This is a change in proportions, not the adoption of an entirely different emblem.

Kim Jong Un’s nuclear authority

The constitution strengthens the position of the president of the State Affairs Commission, held by Kim Jong Un. It provides for command over the nuclear forces and allows delegation of nuclear-use authority to the state’s nuclear command organisation. These changes give constitutional form to an increasingly centralised nuclear command structure.

Why the reunification policy changed

Kim began publicly describing the two Koreas as separate, hostile states in late 2023 and in January 2024 ordered the removal of language supporting reunification. North Korea subsequently dismantled institutions and symbols associated with inter-Korean reconciliation. The March 2026 amendments formalise that political departure, although the published constitutional text is more restrained than some of Kim’s earlier rhetoric.

Does recognition mean a peace agreement?

No. North and South Korea have operated as separate governments for decades and both joined the United Nations in 1991. The Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953 rather than a comprehensive peace treaty. North Korea’s domestic constitutional wording does not itself create a peace treaty, establish mutually agreed maritime borders or eliminate security tensions.

Implications for Asia and the wider world

For Seoul, the revisions change the framework in which any future talks with Pyongyang would take place. The United States will assess them alongside North Korea’s nuclear capabilities and its defence commitments to South Korea. China and Russia also have significant strategic interests in stability on the Korean Peninsula. The changes do not prove that a military conflict is inevitable.

What comes next?

Observers will watch whether the revised flag is adopted consistently at government buildings and diplomatic events, whether Pyongyang introduces implementing measures for its two-state policy and whether channels for inter-Korean dialogue reopen. The deeper shift is constitutional: reunification is no longer stated as North Korea’s national objective, while nuclear command authority is more firmly embedded in its governing framework.

Curated by Vishaljeet Singh, Lisbon, Portugal

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