North Korea activates nuclear death switch

North Korea has amended its constitution to require the military to launch a retaliatory nuclear strike if leader Kim Jong Un is assassinated or disabled by a foreign adversary.The constitutional change comes after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several of his close advisers were reportedly killed in an attack in the early stages of a joint US-Israeli assault on Tehran.The amendment was adopted at the first session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly, which opened in Pyongyang on March 22. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) disclosed the changes during a briefing to senior government officials on Thursday, The Telegraph reported.According to the National Intelligence Service’s briefing, Kim Jong Un continues to hold command of North Korea’s nuclear forces, but the constitutional amendment formalizes procedures for retaliation if Kim Jong Un is killed or unable to lead.Article 3 of the revised Nuclear Policy Law stipulates: “If the national nuclear force command and control system is in danger due to an attack by hostile forces…a nuclear strike shall be launched immediately and automatically.”Andrei Lankov, a Russian-born professor of history and international relations at Seoul’s Kookmin University, said the change reflected Pyongyang’s growing concerns about recent developments in Iran.“This may have been policy before, but now that it’s written into the constitution, it’s taken more seriously,” he said.“Iran is sounding the alarm. North Korea must be scared now that they have seen the astonishing efficiency of US and Israeli decapitation attacks that instantly wiped out much of Iran’s leadership.”Experts believe that conducting a similar operation in North Korea would be much more difficult than in Iran due to the country’s isolation and strict security controls. North Korea’s borders remain largely sealed, and foreign diplomats, aid workers and traders allowed into the country are closely monitored, limiting opportunities for intelligence gathering.There are reports that Israeli intelligence agencies are tracking the Iranian leader through hacked traffic cameras in Tehran, but such a tactic is difficult to implement in Pyongyang due to Pyongyang’s limited CCTV network and tightly controlled intranet system.Kim Jong Un is also known for maintaining strict personal security. He is always accompanied by bodyguards, avoids traveling by plane and usually travels by heavily armored train.Professor Lankov said Pyongyang’s main concern may be satellite surveillance technology.“Their biggest concern is information coming from satellite technology. And, overall, their concerns are not unfounded because seizing leadership at the outset of any conflict could be decisive,” he said.He added that North Korean troops remained loyal to the leadership and would likely carry out retaliatory orders if an attack occurred.Professor Lankov said: “I don’t think the attack could have come from South Korea, so any retaliation would be against the United States.”Meanwhile, North Korea is also preparing to deploy a new artillery system near its border with South Korea, state media reported on Friday.The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Jong Un recently visited an arms factory to inspect the production of “new 155 mm self-propelled howitzers.”KCNA said the artillery system has a range of more than 37 miles and will be deployed to long-range artillery units stationed on the South Korean border this year.The new weapon could put within striking distance downtown Seoul, about 35 miles from the border, and much of Gyeonggi Province, South Korea’s most populous region and major industrial hub.KCNA quoted Kim Jong-un as saying that the howitzer would “bring major changes and advantages to our army’s ground operations.”Despite recent peace overtures from the South Korean government, North Korea continues to describe Seoul as its main adversary and recently removed longstanding references to Korean reunification from its constitution.Technically, North and South Korea are still at war because the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 ended with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.