North Korea has initiated procedures to form the next Supreme People’s Assembly. The Supreme People’s Assembly is the body that exercises legislative power, equivalent to South Korea’s National Assembly. Attention is on whether the first session of the next Supreme People’s Assembly will reflect the inter-Korean ‘two hostile states’ line in the Constitution. Another point to watch is whether State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un will send an external message through a policy address.

The Supreme People’s Assembly Standing Committee has decided to hold the election of deputies (equivalent to members of parliament) for the 15th term on the 15th, Rodong Sinmun reported on the 4th. The Standing Committee also stated it would organize a Central Election Committee for the vote. This marks the start of procedures to establish the next Supreme People’s Assembly.

Under North Korea’s Constitution, the term of the Supreme People’s Assembly is basically five years. Since North Korea elected 687 deputies for the 14th term in March 2019, by regulation it should have formed the 15th in 2024. However, the Constitution provides that if elections cannot be held due to unavoidable circumstances, the term is extended.

The Supreme People’s Assembly carries out functions such as enacting and amending the Constitution and laws, deliberating and approving the state budget, and appointing/electing the Cabinet premier, ministers, and the State Affairs Commission chairman. It is, however, regarded as serving to ratify and support the Party’s decisions.

If the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly is formed this time, some expect the first session to be held around next month. It is anticipated that the first session will include work to codify into law the decisions adopted at the 9th Party Congress held late last month.

Kim Jong-un is also expected to be re-endorsed for the position of State Affairs Commission chairman. The chairman’s term is the same as the Supreme People’s Assembly’s. Under the Constitution, the State Affairs Commission is the ‘highest policy-oriented leadership organ of state sovereignty’. The chairman, as North Korea’s ‘supreme leader’, serves as the commander-in-chief of North Korea’s armed forces and has the authority to direct and command all armed forces.

The first session is also expected to elect the Supreme People’s Assembly Standing Committee chairman. At the 9th Party Congress held earlier, Standing Committee Chairman Choe Ryong-hae was omitted from the list of members of the Party Central Committee. Accordingly, there is speculation that Jo Yong-won, a close aide to Kim Jong-un and former secretary of the Party Secretariat, could become the new standing committee chairman.

There are also expectations that a constitutional amendment will reflect the inter-Korean ‘two hostile states’ line and include offensive content related to nuclear forces. Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said, “There is a possibility of codifying ‘two hostile states’ in the Constitution and newly adding content related to territory,” adding, “Although nuclear force policy has already been specified in the Constitution, this time it could include content declaring an irreversible status.”

Kim Jong-un may also deliver a policy address. Previously, in April 2019, in a policy address at the first session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly, he stated that he was willing to hold a third summit with then U.S. President Donald Trump.