North Korea will convene the inaugural session of its 15th Supreme People’s Assembly, the equivalent of South Korea’s National Assembly, on March 22.
The Workers’ Party’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on March 17 that the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly has notified delegates of the first meeting of the 15th term, to be held in Pyongyang on March 22.
The agenda for this meeting includes electing the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, selecting state leadership organs and Supreme People’s Assembly sector committees, amending the socialist constitution, reviewing the implementation of the five-year national economic development plan, and discussing the 2025 budget settlement and 2026 budget formulation.
This meeting marks the official launch of the 15th term delegate system, elected on March 15, and will establish the institutional and legal framework to implement decisions made at last month’s 9th Workers’ Party Congress. The Supreme People’s Assembly, North Korea’s highest sovereign body according to its constitution, serves to ratify the Workers’ Party’s decisions through state institutions such as the Cabinet.
Legal Steps to Formalize Two Hostile State Relationship; Focus on Potential New Territorial Clauses
The constitutional amendment is the most anticipated item on the agenda. Since December 2023, when Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party, redefined inter-Korean relations as a relationship between two hostile states, North Korea has been systematically dismantling its existing unification and South Korea policies to construct new ones.
Notably, in January 2024, Kim instructed the Supreme People’s Assembly to create constitutional provisions defining territory, territorial waters, and airspace. This meeting may finalize and announce the specific implementation of this directive. Such a move could signify North Korea unilaterally establishing new borders without South Korean input, raising concerns about increased potential for military conflict.
In the two years following Kim’s directive, North Korea has taken physical separation measures, including blocking inter-Korean roads and railways and erecting fences and barriers along the military demarcation line. If constitutional amendments are made, it appears that North-South relations will be completely separated legally and institutionally.
There’s also speculation about potential legislation redefining the Korean War from the Fatherland Liberation War to a war against a hostile state, potentially revising the historical narrative of inter-Korean relations. This is seen as a fundamental restructuring of the division and unification narrative.
Kim Expected to be Re-Elected as State Affairs Commission Chairman; Jo Yong-won Likely Appointed as Supreme People’s Assembly Standing Committee Chairman
A key point of interest will be confirming the results of power restructuring through the election of state leadership organs. Along with Kim’s anticipated re-election as State Affairs Commission Chairman, leadership changes are expected in core power institutions including the State Affairs Commission, the Supreme People’s Assembly Standing Committee, and the Cabinet.
Notably, Choe Ryong-hae, who has held the official second-highest position as Chairman of the Supreme People’s Assembly Standing Committee for seven years, has been excluded from the 15th term delegate list, suggesting a possible replacement. Given his advanced age of 76, there’s speculation about his potential retreat to a less prominent role.
Jo Yong-won, a close confidant of Kim, is likely to assume this position. Jo has long served as a party secretary and head of the Organization and Guidance Department, but his exclusion from the newly appointed list of party secretaries and department heads at the 9th Party Congress has led to speculation about a potential role change.
Key officials including Kim Yo-jong, Director of the Workers’ Party General Affairs Department, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, Kim Jae-ryong, Secretary of the Workers’ Party Central Committee, and Prime Minister Pak Thae-song have all been included as 15th term delegates. They are all expected to hold significant positions within the State Affairs Commission.
Additionally, the meeting will discuss strategies for implementing the five-year national economic development plan, as well as the 2025 budget settlement and 2026 budget formulation.