The Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the constitution of North Korea. It was originally adopted as the Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by the 6th Supreme People's Assembly at its first session on 27 December 1972, and has been amended and supplemented in 1992, 1998, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019 (twice), 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. It replaced the country's first constitution which was approved in 1948.
The constitution consists of a preamble, seven chapters and 172 articles, which codify North Korea's ideology, basic principles of politics, economy, culture, and national defence, the basic rights and duties of citizens, organization of the central and local government, and the national symbols.
Other important documents in the country include Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System, which establish the supreme leader-centered ideological and political system, and the Charter of the Workers Party of Korea, which are frequently seen as superseiding the constitution in practice.Green, Christopher. "Wrapped in a Fog: On the North Korean Constitution and the Ten Principles ," Sino-NK , June 5, 2012. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
History
1948 Constitution North Korea began to draft its first constitution following the convention of the South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly on 12 December 1946 which began to draft an interim constitution for South Korea and the failure to establish a unified provisional government in Korea due to the collapse of the US-Soviet Joint Commission on 21 October 1947.
In November 1947, the People's Assembly of North Korea organized a 31-member committee to enact a provisional constitution. A draft provisional constitution was presented to the People's Assembly of North Korea in February 1948, and it was decided to submit it to an "all-people discussion" that was held from 11 February until 25 April 1948.
On 10 July 1948, the People's Assembly of North Korea adopted the draft constitution as the Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which was implemented by the Supreme People's Assembly throughout the Korean peninsula on 8 September 1948.
According to Andrei Lankov, the 1948 constitution was personally edited by Joseph Stalin alongside Terentii Shtykov, the head of the Soviet occupation of North Korea, in Moscow, with some of its articles being rewritten later by Soviet supervisors."Terenti Shtykov: the other ruler of nascent North Korea" by Andrei Lankov. "...even the North Korean constitution was edited by Stalin himself and became law of the land only after a lengthy discussion in Moscow, where Shytkov and Stalin sat together looking through the draft of the country's future supreme law. They approved it, but not completely, since some articles were rewritten by Soviet supervisors. So Shytkov, together with Stalin himself, can be seen as the authors of the North Korean constitution." Korea Times
The 1948 constitution consisted of 10 chapters and 104 articles. It codified the reforms being implemented in North Korea since the establishment the Provisional People's Committee of North Korea in 1946, such as land reforms, the nationalization of industries and resources, and the provision of various freedoms and rights to Koreans.
The constitution instituted the Supreme People's Assembly as the highest government institution in North Korea with various powers such as the passing of laws and the election of the Cabinet, the Supreme Court and the Procurator General. The Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly was tasked with exercising the powers of the assembly during its recess, as well as to represent the country in its foreign relations. The Cabinet was instituted to be the highest executive institution, with its Premier being designated as head of government.
The 1948 constitution was amended five times in April 1954, October 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1962.
1972 Constitution North Korea began drafting the present Socialist Constitution as there was a need to set into law the expanding socialist policies and the political, economic and social changes in the country, which are no longer being reflected in the 1948 constitution.
The need for a new constitution had been discussed since the mid-1960s. In the 1970s, the creation of a new constitution was made into an urgent matter.
On 23 October 1972, a committee to draft the Socialist Constitution was organized during the 5th plenary meeting of the 5th convocation of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. Kim Il Sung said in a report during the meeting that there was a need to codify the "socialist revolution and construction" and their achievements in the constitution.
The Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was adopted at the 1st session of the 5th Supreme People's Assembly on 27 December 1972, the same date that South Korea enacted the Yushin Constitution, a similarly autocratic document providing legal endorsement for a pre-existing dictatorship.Documents show Park Chung-hee informed NK of Yushin in advance
The Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has been amended thirteen times: in 1992, 1998, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, April 2019, August 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. The Socialist Constitution was renamed to the Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the 2026 amendment.
Structure The Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea consists of a preamble and 172 articles organized into seven chapters as of 11 April 2019. The constitution is considered as unique for combining strong socialist and nationalist tendencies as well as referencing the country's Juche ideology.
Preamble The preamble describes North Korea, which has the official name of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as a "people-centered socialist state" that "represents the interests of the Korean people and struggles for the socialist cause".
It states that North Korea "proceeds by firmly grasping the strengthening of the people's government and the enhancement of its functions and roles, while thoroughly carrying out the three revolutions of ideology, technology, and culture, as the general line of socialist construction".
Kim Il Sung is credited as the "founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and father of socialist Korea" who founded the Juche idea and turned North Korea into a socialist country. Kim Jong Il is credited as the "peerless patriot and defender of socialist Korea" who had kept Kim Il Sung's policies and turned North Korea into a politico-ideological power, a nuclear state and a military power through Songun politics.
Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il were described by the preamble to have always worked for the people under their motto of "the people are heaven" (이민위천) and are credited for making North Korea as a unique country in the world for accomplishing the tasks for building a prosperous and independent state. The preamble also praises both leaders as "veteran world statesmen" for developing North Korea's foreign relations.
The preamble states that Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il's ideas and achievements are "lasting treasures of the Korean revolution" and the basic guarantee for North Korea's prosperity, while setting up the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun as a monument to the leaders' immortality and a national symbol for Korea.
The preamble concludes by enshrining Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il as the eternal leaders of North Korea, and that the constitution would consist of their ideas and achievements which makes it the Kim Il Sung-Kim Jong Il Constitution.
Chapter 1 – Politics Chapter 1 of the Constitution consists of 18 articles that outline the political structure of North Korea.
Article 1 states that the country's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Article 2 states that the DPRK's territory "includes the territory 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 the territorial seas and airspace established thereon."
Article 3 makes Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism as the country's guide for its activities, while Article 11 makes the Workers' Party of Korea lead all of the country's activities.
Article 4 gives the sovereignty of the country to the working people consisting of workers, peasants, soldiers and talented personnel who exercise it through their representatives in the Supreme People's Assembly and local people's assemblies organized in the nation's administrative divisions. Article 6 and 7 states that these representatives are elected by the people based on universal, equal and direct suffrage, and are responsible to them.
Article 5 states that government institutions are created and operated based on democratic centralism.
Article 8 provides a "people-centered" social system for North Korea that turns "workers into masters of everything" and "everything in society serve the workers," and tasks the state to respect and defend the people's human rights.
Article 9 provides North Korea with the task to achieve "the complete victory of socialism" in the northern half of Korea.
Article 10 states that North Korea is based on the "political and ideological unity" of the people who are in a working class-led worker-peasant alliance, and that the people will be revolutionized and assimilated by the state into a single united society. Article 12 adds that the North Korean state will "adhere to the class line" and "defend the people's power and the socialist system" from "hostile elements" through the "dictatorship of people's democracy".
Article 13 states that North Korea will resolve the country's issues by finding solutions from the masses through the revolutionary work system, while Article 14 institutionalizes mass movements such as the Three-Revolution Red Flag movement to push socialist construction in the country.
Article 15 provides representation for overseas Koreans by North Korea, and Article 16 guarantees that the interests of foreigners within North Korea are guaranteed by the state.
Article 17 establishes the principles of independence, peace and friendship as the basis for North Korea's foreign relations, and declares that the country will support foreign struggles for independence and liberation.
Article 18 states that the laws of North Korea are the "reflection of the wishes and interests" of the people, and that it should be observed by every institution, enterprise, organization and person in the country. The state is tasked with perfecting the socialist law system and strengthening the socialist law-abiding life.
Chapter 2 – Economy Chapter 2 of the Constitution consists of 19 articles that outline the economic structure of North Korea.
Article 19 states that North Korea relies on the socialist relations of production and the foundation of an independent national economy.
Articles 20 to 23 states that the means of production are owned by the state and social cooperatives, and lists provisions for state and social cooperative properties.
Article 24 allows for citizens to have private property, which the state shall protect and guarantee its inheritance.
Article 25 states that North Korea shall continually increase the living standards of its people who shall be provided by the state with food, clothing and housing.
Article 26 states that North Korea has an independent national economy in which Article 27 states that science and technology will have a leading role.
Article 30 provides for an eight-hour work day for workers which the state will fully utilize, while Article 31 prohibits work for those who are below 16 years old.