North Korea Approves Law Mandating Automatic Nuclear Strike if Kim Is Killed
May 9, 2026 (Gebeya Media) — North Korea has reportedly approved a constitutional amendment requiring the country’s military to launch an immediate and automatic nuclear retaliatory strike if the nation’s supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, is killed or rendered incapable of carrying out his duties by foreign forces.
The controversial legal amendment is said to have been introduced amid heightened fears in Pyongyang following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several of his close advisers during military actions carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran.
According to a briefing by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) to senior government officials, changes were made to Article 3 of North Korea’s nuclear policy law.
The amendment reportedly states that “if the command and control system of the country’s nuclear forces falls under threat from enemy attacks, a nuclear strike will be launched automatically and immediately.” This effectively creates a system ensuring that retaliation would proceed even if Kim Jong Un were no longer alive.
Although this is not the first time North Korea has revised its nuclear-use laws, analysts say the use of the term “automatic” marks a significant escalation.
In 2022, North Korea passed legislation declaring its status as a nuclear weapons state “irreversible.” However, the latest amendment appears to shift nuclear launch authority away from the personal decision of the leader toward a computerized or pre-programmed military command system.
Commenting on the development, Andrei Lankov, a professor of history and international relations at Kookmin University in Seoul, said the killing of Iran’s leadership served as a major wake-up call for North Korea.
He added that the demonstrated ability of the United States and Israel to strike Iran’s leadership within a short period of time had reportedly caused serious concern for Kim Jong Un.
In addition to concerns over leadership security, North Korea is also reportedly planning to deploy new types of weapons along its southern border, according to the country’s state news agency.
This week, Kim Jong Un visited an ammunition and artillery factory, where he inspected a newly manufactured 155mm self-propelled artillery system.
The new artillery system is said to have a firing range exceeding 60 kilometers, placing South Korea’s capital, Seoul, within direct striking distance. Reports indicate that the weapon will be deployed to military units stationed near the border later this year.
Despite the successful military operations carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran, experts say conducting a similar operation against North Korea would be far more difficult.
They cite North Korea’s heavily fortified borders, strict monitoring of foreign nationals, and limited technological vulnerability compared to Iran, making infiltration and surveillance significantly more challenging.
Kim Jong Un is widely known for maintaining extremely tight security measures. During his travels, he is reportedly accompanied by heavily armed security personnel at all times and frequently travels aboard heavily armored trains.
