Constitution for the People

The Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea was adopted on December 27, 1972. It can be called a constitution for the people. The guiding principle of the constitution is the Juche idea.

The Constitution states that the DPRK regards the Juche idea for realizing the independence of the masses of the people as the guiding principle of its activities.

The Juche idea, created by President Kim Il Sung (1912-1994) and enriched by Chairman Kim Jong Il (1942-2011), is a man-centred ideology which elucidates that man is the master of the world and his own destiny and has the strength to transform nature and society and shape his own destiny. 

The Juche idea puts forward it as the most important task to realize independence, which is a major attribute of a social being to live and develop as the master of his own destiny free from any subordination or shackles.

For this reason, all the articles of the Socialist Constitution were formulated with a view to giving priority to the independent rights and creative role of the masses of the people and have been continuously amended and supplemented to this end.

The Constitution stipulates that the social system shall be a man-centred one in which the masses of the working people are the masters of everything and everything serves them and that the state shall safeguard the interests of the working people including workers, peasants, soldiers and working intellectuals who have become the masters of society, and respect and defend human rights.

The Socialist Constitution of the DPRK was enacted by the representatives of the people to reflect the will and interests of the people.

The Constitution clarifies that the sovereignty of the Republic resides in the workers, peasants, soldiers, intellectuals and all other working people and that the working people exercise their power through the Supreme People’s Assembly and 

other people’s assemblies of different levels, which represent them.

Workers, farmers, soldiers and holders of academic degrees and titles, technicians and experts were elected as the deputies to the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly in 2019. Workers, farmers and soldiers held 16.2％, 9.6％ and 17.2％ of the deputies, respectively, while holders of academic degrees and titles, technicians and experts 92％. It is the same case with provincial, city and county people’s assemblies.

It is quite natural that the power organ composed mainly of ordinary working people should conduct genuinely people-oriented legal activities to defend and realize the interests of the people. 

The Socialist Constitution of the DPRK provides and guarantees the independent and creative life of the people in a substantial manner. 

The Constitution stipulates that the state shall regard it as the supreme principle of the state activities to continuously improve the material and cultural life of the people. Accordingly, the state takes full responsibility for the life of the people and is duty-bound to provide them with the rights and conditions to have enough food, clothing and housing. All the increasing material wealth of society is directed to improving the welfare of the working people. 

The Constitution elucidates in detail the items for providing the people with material and cultural life and the relevant measures to this end. 

The state should give free education to all students, grant stipends to university students, intensify social education and provide all the working people with every condition for study.  

The children of preschool age are taken care of in nurseries and kindergartens at the expense of the state and society. The state should develop the universal free medical care system and strengthen the district doctor system and the system of preventive medicine so as to protect the life of the people and promote the health of the working people. 

The rights of citizens to work and relax are legally guaranteed. All the able-bodied citizens can select their jobs according to their hopes and talents and the state provides them with stable jobs, working conditions, sufficient rights and conditions to relax. These are ensured by the establishment of the working hours, the provision of holidays, paid leave, accommodation at health resorts and holiday homes at state expense and by a growing network of cultural facilities.

The Socialist Constitution of the DPRK, enjoying absolute support from the people, has been a powerful driving force of the revolution and construction over the past five decades.