North Korea changes flag proportions and revises constitution

North Korea has changed the proportions of its national flag for the first time since the country’s establishment in 1948, according to NK News. The DPRK government’s official website Naenara now displays a flag with the aspect ratio 1:1.65, replacing the previous banner using the 1:2 ratio. The two thin white stripes also appear thicker than before, widened to roughly a third of the blue stripes at the top and bottom. The new flag was on display at the launch of the naval destroyer “Kang Kon.”

Constitutional revision

North Korea released the full text of its revised constitution on its propaganda website Naenara, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily. The disclosure comes about two years and eight months after leader Kim Jong-un declared the two-state doctrine. The full Korean text was posted with a note stating that the constitution had been amended and supplemented at the first session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly on March 23.

Article 2 defines North Korea’s territory as land “bordering the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation to the north and the Republic of Korea to the south,” as well as territorial waters and airspace based on that land. The provision names South Korea, alongside China and Russia, as a country sharing a border with North Korea, though it does not specify the exact land or maritime boundaries.

Provisions related to national reunification that appeared in the previous constitution have been removed. The revised text does not include language designating South Korea as the “No. 1 hostile state” or “invariable principal enemy.”

The revised constitution also includes provisions strengthening Kim’s authority. It grants the chairman of the State Affairs Commission, a position held by Kim, command over the country’s nuclear forces and the power to delegate authority to use nuclear weapons to the state nuclear command organization.

Why it matters

The flag change breaks with a decades-old design closely associated with founding leader Kim Il Sung. The constitutional revision formally removes reunification provisions and defines inter-Korean relations as those between “two hostile states,” while expanding the leader’s control over nuclear forces.

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Sources

• nknews.org: North Korea modifies national flag in break with decades-old design | NK News
• koreajoongangdaily.com: North Korea releases revised constitution defining South Korea as separate state

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.