North Korea has changed its constitution to launch nukes automatically if Kim Jong-un is killed, raising the risk of accidental war on the Korean Peninsula.

• Kim watched the US go after Maduro in Venezuela and the Ayatollah in Iran, and decided he needed to make killing him useless as a strategy.
• The new rule pre-authorizes officers to fire nukes the moment leadership goes dark, even without Kim's order, which could backfire if communication breaks down.
• North Korea now has around 50 warheads and is adding six or seven a year, with missiles that can reach the US and tech help flowing in from Russia in exchange for troops in Ukraine.
• Analysts are split: some think Kim has already decided on war and is building the tools to start it, others think he just wants the regime to survive him and pass power to his 13-year-old daughter.
• Inside the country things are grim, with half the population hungry and people reportedly starving even in the capital after the government banned private food sales.

Outlook: The US has almost no way to talk to Pyongyang right now, so a misread signal during a crisis could spiral fast.