North Korea to ‘Immediately’ Fire Nuclear Strike if Kim Is Killed

Why It Matters

By codifying automatic nuclear response, the amendment significantly raises the risk of immediate nuclear escalation in a crisis, constraining military and diplomatic options for the U.S., South Korea and other actors and complicating crisis management and deterrence strategies.

Summary

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service says North Korea has revised its constitution to mandate an automatic, immediate nuclear retaliatory strike if Kim Jong-un is assassinated or the regime’s nuclear command-and-control is endangered. The change formalizes a do-or-die deterrent tied directly to the leader’s survival, raising the threshold for any hostile action against Kim. Commentators note the amendment is meant to deter assassination or decapitation strikes and to project strength, while critics warn it escalates the risk of rapid nuclear use. The development underscores Pyongyang’s intent to lock adversaries into a high-stakes calculus in any crisis.

Original Description

Sky News host James Macpherson mocks North Korea’s move to change its constitution to “automatically and immediately” mandate a nuclear strike if Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un is assassinated.