North Korea has removed references to “national reunification” from its constitution and newly defined its territory as land bordering South Korea, a move analysts say may signal Pyongyang’s intent to avoid direct conflict with Seoul.

The constitutional overhaul is widely seen as aligning with the North’s evolving stance towards Seoul – shifting away from reunification and towards a more formalised state-to-state relationship.

Pyongyang took more than two and a half years to revise the constitution after leader Kim Jong-un declared that inter-Korean ties should be redefined as those between “two hostile states” and ordered the change to be codified.

Accordingly, phrases from the previous constitution that emphasised “independence, peaceful reunification, and great national unity” have been deleted, along with a pledge to “struggle to achieve national reunification”.

References in the preamble to reunification-related achievements of state founder Kim Il-sung and former leader Kim Jong-il were also removed.

Notably, the revised constitution introduces a territorial clause for the first time.