Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

North Korea's constitution was originally adopted as the Socialist Constitution on 27 December 1972 by the 6th Supreme People's Assembly, replacing the country's first constitution of 1948, and has been amended 13 times since. Its preamble and 172 articles across seven chapters codify the state's ideology, political structure, economy, culture, national defense, and citizens' rights and duties, describing North Korea as a people-centered socialist state guided by Juche ideology and enshrining Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il as eternal leaders. In March 2026 the word Socialist was dropped from the document's official title, now the Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, reflecting Kim Jong Un's consolidation of presidential powers and a shift toward a more explicit presidential system while the text retains its socialist characterizations.