Seoul Claims North Korea Has Adopted Automatic Nuclear Retaliation Law

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service has announced that North Korea has amended its law on nuclear weapon use to authorize an automatic and immediate nuclear strike if Kim Jong Un, the country’s leader, is assassinated or if the country’s nuclear command structure is threatened.

According to a report by The Telegraph citing a briefing from the intelligence agency, Pyongyang has legally paved the way for such action by revising its constitution. The amended Article 3 stipulates that if the nuclear command system is threatened, the order to attack must be executed “immediately and automatically.”

It is reported that these amendments were approved during the first session of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly on March 22 in Pyongyang and were later publicized by South Korea’s intelligence service. Seoul officials have not disclosed further details about the practical mechanisms of this decision.

This development comes amid ongoing tensions between North and South Korea, with Pyongyang continuing to develop new weaponry, including long-range artillery systems. Analysts believe that any changes in North Korea’s nuclear doctrine could significantly impact the security dynamics in the East Asian region.