Pyongyang Warns Of Nuclear Action If Kim Jong Un Is Assassinated

What happens if Kim Jong Un is assassinated? North Korea has now warned that any attempt to remove its leader could trigger a nuclear attack. Watching the recent US-Israel strikes in Iran that claimed the life of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei clearly struck a nerve in North Korea. In a direct response to that high-level assassination, the country has actually rewritten its constitution to ensure it doesn't meet a similar end quietly. The military is now legally bound to launch a nuclear counter-attack if leader Kim Jong Un is assassinated by a foreign power.

According to The Telegraph, the constitutional revision was cleared during a March session of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly. The details later surfaced through a briefing by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, which said Kim Jong Un remains in direct control of the country’s nuclear arsenal, while the revised rules also set out how a retaliatory strike would be carried out if he is killed or unable to command.

Experts say the policy may not be entirely new, but formally writing it into the constitution gives it far more weight. The attacks on Iran’s leadership seem to have reinforced Pyongyang’s fears, especially after seeing how quickly key figures in Tehran were targeted. But carrying out a similar operation against Kim Jong Un and his inner circle would be far more difficult. North Korea remains heavily isolated from the outside world, and even diplomats, aid workers and visitors from friendly nations are kept under strict surveillance. That makes it extremely hard for foreign agencies to develop the kind of on-ground intelligence network that proved crucial in the strikes on Iran.

Kim Jong Un is deeply cautious about his personal safety, rarely appearing without a heavy security presence. He is also known for avoiding air travel, preferring to move in a fortified armoured train instead. An expert quoted by The Telegraph said Pyongyang is likely more worried about being tracked through satellite surveillance than infiltration on the ground. The report added that any strike targeting the regime could be treated by Pyongyang as an existential threat, making a retaliatory nuclear response highly likely. In such a scenario, the United States — not South Korea — would be seen as the primary target.

The move will deepen international concerns over how North Korea could respond during a crisis. It also highlights how events far beyond the Korean Peninsula are influencing Pyongyang’s security calculations.