North Korea has approved constitutional amendments that provide for the automatic use of nuclear weapons if the country's leadership is destroyed or loses control of the military, according to South Korean intelligence reports.

According to the report, if leader Kim Jong Un is killed or if the country's command structure is hit, nuclear weapons could be launched automatically, without the need for a direct order from the political leadership.

The move is intended to strengthen Pyongyang's nuclear deterrence strategy and send a message that any attempt to eliminate the country's leadership could trigger an automatic destructive response.