North Korea’s New Constitution Gives Kim Formal Power Over Nukes
A news broadcast with an image of Pyongyang's nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles in Seoul.
Photographer: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty ImagesNorth Korea has amended its constitution to formally give leader Kim Jong Un sole authority over the country’s nuclear arsenal, according to South Korean lawmakers briefed by Seoul’s spy agency.
For the first time, North Korea’s constitution explicitly stipulates that full control over the country’s nuclear weapons rests with the State Affairs Commission chairman — a position held by Kim, according to ruling party lawmaker Park Sun-won, and Lee Seong-kweun of the opposition.