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Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 1998

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CHAPTER I. POLITICS

Article 1.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is an independent socialist State representing the interests of all the Korean people.

Article 2.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a revolutionary State which has inherited the brilliant traditions formed during the glorious revolutionary struggle against the imperialist aggressors, in the struggle to achieve the liberation of the homeland and the freedom and well-being of the people.

Article 3.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is guided in its activities by the Juche idea, a world outlook centred on people, a revolutionary ideology for achieving the independence of the masses of people.

Article 4.
The sovereignty of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea resides in the workers, peasants, working intellectuals and all other working people.
The working people exercise power through their representative organs?the Supreme People's Assembly and local People's Assemblies at all levels.

Article 5.
All State organs in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are formed and function on the principle of democratic centralism.

Article 6.
The organs of State power at all levels, from the county People's Assembly to the Supreme People's Assembly, are elected on the principle of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.

Article 7.
Deputies to the organs of State power at all levels have close ties with their constituents and are accountable to them for their work.
The electors may recall the deputies they have elected if the latter are not to be trusted.

Article 8.
The social system of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a people-centred system under which the working people are the masters of everything and everything in society serves the working people.
The State shall defend and protect the interests of the workers, peasants, working intellectuals and all other working people who have been freed from exploitation and oppression and become masters of the State and society.

Article 9.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea shall strive to achieve the complete victory of socialism in the northern half of Korea by strengthening the people's power and vigorously performing the three revolutions-the ideological, technical and cultural-and reunify the country on the principle of independence, peaceful reunification and great national unity.

Article 10.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea rests on the politico-ideological unity of all the people based on the worker-peasant alliance led by the working class.
The State shall revolutionize all the members of society, and assimilate them to the working class by intensifying the ideological revolution, and shall turn the whole of society into a collective, united in a comradely way.

Article 11.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea shall conduct all activities under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Article 12.
The State shall adhere to the class line, strengthen the dictatorship of people's democracy and firmly defend the people's power and socialist system against all subversive acts of hostile elements at home and abroad.

Article 13.
The State shall implement the mass line and apply the Chongsanri spirit and Chongsanri method to all its activities, the spirit and method by which superiors assist their subordinates, mix with the masses to find solutions to problems and rouse them to conscious enthusiasm preferentially through political work, work with people.

Article 14.
The State shall powerfully conduct the Three-Revolution Red Flag Movement and other mass movements and accelerate the building of socialism to the maximum.

Article 15.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea shall champion the democratic national rights of Koreans overseas and their rights recognized by the international law as well as their interests.

Article 16.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea shall guarantee the legal rights and interests of foreigners in its region.

Article 17.
Independence, peace and friendship are the basic ideals of the foreign policy and the principles of external activities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The State shall establish diplomatic as well as political, economic and cultural relations with all friendly countries, on principles of complete equality, independence, mutual respect, noninterference in each other's affairs and mutual benefit.

The State shall promote unity with the world public defending independence, resolutely support and encourage the struggle of all peoples who oppose all forms of aggression and interference and fight for their countries' independence and national and class emancipation.

Article 18.
The law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea reflects the wishes and interests of the working people and is a basic instrument for State administration.
Respect for the law and its strict adherence and execution is the duty of all institutions, enterprises, organizations and citizens.
The State shall perfect the system of socialist law and promote the socialist law-abiding life.