North Korea has officially changed the aspect ratio of its national flag from 1:2 to 1:1.65, marking the first such adjustment since the government was established in 1948.
The revision to the flag’s dimensions, detailed in Article 166 of the constitution, appeared on the state propaganda website Naenara. While the proportions have been altered, the design remains consistent with the version used for decades, featuring a central red stripe, white and blue stripes, and a red five-pointed star inside a white circle. This 1:2 ratio had remained the legal standard for 78 years, including through the constitutional revision of September 2023.
Analysts view the change as part of a broader effort by the Kim Jong-un regime to move away from the legacies of his predecessors and reinforce a distinct national identity. The shift follows a series of policy changes, including the formal designation of South and North Korea as “two hostile states” and the removal of reunification-related provisions from the constitution.
Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said that the move reflects an effort to balance continuity with the heritage of previous leaders while establishing a unique political identity for the current era.
“Changing the flag's proportions while maintaining its basic design is an attempt to preserve the legacy of previous leaders while imprinting a distinct national identity associated with the Kim Jong-un era,” Lim said. He added that the revision is significant in institutionalizing the “two hostile states” doctrine at the highest constitutional level, alongside new territorial provisions and the removal of unification-related language.
This change is interpreted as an attempt to reject the concept of a unified Korean nation.
According to the constitution, the flag’s elements carry specific symbolic meaning:
- The central red stripe represents “the red blood shed by the anti-Japanese revolutionary fighters who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of the homeland and the sovereignty of the people.”
- The white circle and stripes signify “the loyalty of our people, who uphold the leadership of the party and the leader with a pure heart.”
- The blue stripes represent “the revolutionary spirit of our people, who hold high the banner of anti-imperialist independence and struggle for world peace, friendship and solidarity, and the sovereignty of the republic.”
The text of the revised constitution was posted on Naenara in November 2026, appearing to reflect amendments passed during the first session of the 15th Supreme People’s Assembly on March 23.
This marks the return of the full constitutional text to the website after it was taken down in March 2024 following the regime’s pivot toward a policy of “hostile two countries.” The current version of the document also includes a new territorial clause, elevates the status and power of the leader, and grants him formal command of the nation’s nuclear forces.
