North Korea Parliament alters constitution to solidify power of Kim Jong Un News
© Wikimedia (The White House from Washington, DC)
North Korea Parliament alters constitution to solidify power of Kim Jong Un

The 2nd Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly(SPA) of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) decided on amendments and supplements to the nation’s Socialist Constitution on Thursday to solidify the power of leader, Kim Jong Un.

Chapter 6 of the constitution titled “State Machinery” was modified. Prior to the amendment, the president of the presidium of the SPA was the named head of state. Kim Jong Un, was previously recognized as the head and chairman of an influential governing body known as the State Affairs Commission. Thursday’s amendment recognized that Chairman Kim, is the representative of all Korean people and commander-in-chief acting as “supreme leader of the Party, state and armed forces of the DPRK elected in accordance with the unanimous will and desire of all the Korean people.”

As chairman, Kim was further empowered by supplements that allow him to make SPA ordinances and State Affairs Commission decrees as well as appoint or call back emissaries to foreign nations.

President of the SPA Presidium Choe Ryong Hae described the purpose of the amendments as to “provide mighty legal guarantee for stepping up the building of a powerful socialist country more dynamically under the monolithic guidance of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un.”