North korea: North Korea has eliminated references to "peaceful unification" with South Korea from the charter of its ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), positioning inter-Korean relations as those between "two hostile" states.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the full text of the revised charter was released by Seoul's Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), marking its first public disclosure. South Korean intelligence authorities had indicated that the charter was revised in June 2024 to reflect North Korea's new stance, though the exact language had not been publicly available until now. The updates include amendments adopted at the WPK's ninth congress in February.

The revised rules of the WPK consolidate the authority of leader Kim Jong-un by removing references to the achievements of his predecessors, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. This shift is seen as an effort to solidify Kim Jong-un's position as the party's sole leader. Additionally, mentions of the U.S. military presence in South Korea and "outside forces" were removed, reinforcing Pyongyang's position of viewing the two Koreas as entirely separate entities.

During the Supreme People's Assembly session in January 2024, Kim ordered constitutional revisions, stating that "peaceful unification" was no longer feasible and that the concept of a unified Korean nation should be discarded. Pyongyang confirmed these constitutional changes in October of the same year.

The revised charter also elaborates on the authority of the WPK's general secretary, granting powers to convene meetings, appoint and dismiss officials, and dissolve party departments. A new clause permits the party to forgo internal elections during wartime and raises the minimum party membership age from 18 to 20.

Uncertainty remains over the position of first secretary, created at the eighth party congress in 2021 as Kim's official proxy. The INSS suggests that Jo Yong-won, secretary of the party's Central Committee, is likely serving in this role. According to the INSS, these changes embody Pyongyang's transition into the "Kim Jong-un Era 2.0," marking nearly 15 years of his leadership.