Government of North Korea

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Government of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea조선민주주의인민공화국 정부

Emblem of North Korea

Formation| 9 September 1948
Legislature| Supreme People's Assembly
Communist Party
Party| Workers' Party of Korea
General Secretary| Kim Jong Un
Government
Executive| State Affairs Commission
Cabinet
President| Kim Jong Un
Cabinet Premier| Pak Thae-song
Assembly Standing Committee Chairman| Choe Ryong-hae
Military| Korean People's Army
Supreme Commander| Kim Jong Un
Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Hangul|

조선민주주의인민공화국 정부

Hanja|

朝鮮民主主義人民共和國 政府

RR| Joseonminjujuuiinmingonghwaguk Jeongbu
MR| Chosŏnminjujuŭiinmin'gonghwaguk Chŏngbu

Politics of North Korea

Constitution

* Juche (state ideology)
* Songun ("military-first" policy)
* Eternal leaders
* Kim Il Sung
* Kim Jong Il

Workers' Party of Korea

Congress (8th)

* General Secretary and Supreme Leader
* Kim Jong Un
* Personal Secretariat
* Rules
* Central Committee (8th)
* Politburo (8th)
* Presidium (8th)
* Kim Jong Un
* Choe Ryong-hae
* Jo Yong-won
* Kim Tok-hun
* Ri Pyong-chol
* Secretariat (8th)
* Central Military Commission (8th)
* Chairman
* Kim Jong Un
* Vice Chairman
* Ri Yong-gil
* Ri Pyong-chol
* Central Auditing Commission (8th)
* Chairman
* Kim Jae-ryong
* Organization and Guidance Department
* Propaganda and Agitation Department
* United Front Department

Supreme People's Assembly

14th term

* Chairman
* Pak In-chol
* Standing Committee (14th)
* Chairman
* Choe Ryong-hae
* Judiciary
* Central Court (14th)
* President
* Kang Yun-sok
* Central Public Prosecutors (14th)
* Director
* Kim Myong-gil

State Affairs Commission

14th term

* President
* Kim Jong Un
* First Vice President
* Choe Ryong-hae
* Vice President
* Kim Tok-hun

Organizations

* Ministry of National Defense
* Ministry of State Security
* Ministry of Social Security
* National Sports Guidance Committee

Cabinet

14th term

* Premier
* Pak Thae-song
* Vice Premier
* Pak Jong-gun
* Jon Hyon-chol
* Kim Song-ryong
* Ri Song-hak
* Pak Hun
* Ju Chol-gyu

Cabinet Ministries

* Ministry of Sport
* Ministry of Foreign Affairs
* Ministry of Chemical Industry
* Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
* Ministry of Metal Industry
* Ministry of Machinery Industry
* Ministry of Urban Management
* Ministry of Land, Sea and Maritime Affairs
* Ministry of Forestry
* Ministry of External Economic Relations
* Ministry of Education
* Ministry of Culture
* Ministry of Labor
* Ministry of Commerce
* Ministry of Coal Industry
* Ministry of Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering
* Ministry of Fisheries
* Ministry of Atomic Energy
* Ministry of Finance
* Ministry of Electricity
* Ministry of Information Industry
* Ministry of Local Industry
* Ministry of Mining Industry
* Ministry of Railways
* Ministry of Construction and Building Materials Industry
* Ministry of Light Industry
* Ministry of State Construction Supervision
* Ministry of National Resources Development

Elections

* Recent elections

* Parliamentary: 2014
* 2019
* next

* Local: 2015
* 2019
* 2023

Administrative divisions

* First-level

Provinces
Special cities
* Second-level

cities
Kun (county)
* Third-level

Eup (town)
Dong (neighborhood)
Ri (village)
Rodongjagu (workers' district)

Foreign relations

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister: Choe Son-hui

* * *

* Diplomatic missions of / in North Korea

* * *

* Nationality law
* Passport
* Visa requirements
* Visa policy

* * *

* Korean conflict
* Korean reunification

Related topics

* Censorship
* Human rights
* Kim family (Ten Principles)
* Propaganda
* Illicit activities
* Law
* Enforcement
* Security Ministry

North Korea portal

* Other countries

* v
* t
* e

In the North Korean government, the Cabinet is the administrative and executive body.[1] The North Korean government consists of three branches: administrative, legislative, and judicial. However, they are not independent of each other, but all branches are under the exclusive political leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).[2]

## Institutions

[edit]

The leader must work through various agents and their institutions, which have the power to delay, modify, or even resist the leader's orders. These institutions may set the overall tone and direction for North Korea's foreign and domestic policy, make suggestions, offer policy options, and lobby Kim himself.[3]

The government is confirmed by the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA). The Premier, who appoints three Vice Premiers and the government's ministers, heads the cabinet. The government is dominated by the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and has been since North Korea's inception in 1948.

The Cabinet has the right to supervise and control the Local People's Committee (LPC, 지방인민위원회) with regard to local economies and administration. As the State Administrative Council (SAC, 정무원) was replaced by the Cabinet, the Local Administrative and Economic Committee (LAEC, 지방행정경제위원회) was abolished and its functions regarding local politics transferred to the LPC. Under WPK former General Secretary Kim Jong Il, the cabinet's power was elevated to equal status with Workers' Party of Korea and Korean People's Army Ground Force (KPA).[4]

A party chief secretary no longer concurrently holds the post of LPC chairman, which has been taken over by a former LAEC chairman. Thus, the LPC is theoretically independent of the local party and is under the control of the Cabinet. The status of the LPC as the local executive organ, in principle, became higher than before.

The Economist Intelligence Unit listed North Korea in last place as an authoritarian regime in its 2012 Democracy Index assessing 168 countries.[5]

### Judiciary

[edit]

Main article: Judiciary of North Korea

North Korea's judiciary is headed by the Central Court, which consists of a Chief Justice (판사) and two People's Assessors (인민참심원); three judges may be present in some cases.[6] Their terms of office coincide with those of the members of the Supreme People's Assembly. Every court in North Korea has the same composition as the Central Court. The judicial system is theoretically held accountable to the SPA and the Presidium of the SPA when the legislature is not in session.

The judiciary does not practice judicial review. The security forces so often interfere with the actions of the judiciary that the conclusion of most cases is foregone; experts outside North Korea and numerous defectors confirm this to be a widespread problem.[7] Freedom House states that, "North Korea does not have an independent judiciary and does not acknowledge individual rights...reports of arbitrary detentions, 'disappearances,' and extrajudicial killings are common; torture is widespread and severe".[8]

North Korea's fifth and existing constitution was approved and adopted in September 1998, replacing the one previously adopted in 1972. The former constitution had last been amended in 1992. Under the 1998 constitution, North Korea is a socialist state representing the interests of all Korean people.[9] Criminal penalties can be stiff; one of the basic functions of the system is to uphold the power of the regime. Because so little information is available concerning what actually occurs inside of the country, the extent to which there is any rule of law is uncertain. In any case, North Korea is known for its poor human rights and regularly detains thousands of dissidents without trial or benefit of legal advice. According to a US Department of State report on human rights practices, the government of North Korea often punishes the family of a criminal along with the perpetrator.[7]

### Workers' Party of Korea

[edit]

Main article: Workers' Party of Korea

The Workers' Party of Korea is organized according to the Monolithic Ideological System and the Great Leader, a system and theory conceived by Kim Yong-ju and Kim Jong Il. The highest body of the WPK is formally the Congress, which last convened as the 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea in May 2016. Although the WPK is (in theory) organizationally similar to communist parties, in practice it is far less institutionalized and informal politics plays a larger role than usual. Institutions such as the Central Committee, the Secretariat, the Central Military Commission (CMC), the Politburo and the Presidium have much less power than that formally bestowed on them by the party's charter. Kim Jong Un is the current General Secretary of the WPK.

Compared with other institutions of North Korea, the WPK remains the most ideological and views itself as the defender of the revolutionary way by emphasizing sovereignty and nationalism, as well as its commitment to a socialist ideology. Therefore, in theory, the WPK opposes accommodation and economic reform of any type.[10]

* General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea: Kim Jong Un
* Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea: Kim Jong Un

### State Affairs Commission

[edit]

Main article: State Affairs Commission of North Korea

In June 2010, Kim Jong Il appointed his brother-in-law, Chang Sung-taek, as vice-chairman of the National Defence Commission, in a move seen as propping up his own position. Chang was already regarded as the second-most powerful person in North Korea and his appointment strengthened the probability that Kim's third son, Kim Jong Un, would succeed him.[11] However, in December 2013 Chang was fired from all government posts and subsequently executed. Kim Jong Un ordered the execution.[12]

In June 2016, following the 7th WPK Conference, the Constitution of North Korea was updated, replacing the National Defence Commission with the State Affairs Commission and naming Kim Jong Un as the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission.[13] This places Kim Jong Un as the official head of state.[14]

* Minister of People's Security: Choe Pu-il
* Minister of People's Armed Forces: Pak Yong-sik

## Party leaders

[edit]

Main article: 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea

### General Secretary

[edit]

* Kim Jong Un

### Presidium of the Political Bureau

[edit]

* Kim Jong Un, Choe Ryong-hae, Pak Pong-ju, Kim Yong-nam (to April 2019), Hwang Pyong-so (to 2018)

### Members of the Political Bureau

[edit]

* Kim Jong Un, Kim Yong-nam, Hwang Pyong-so, Pak Pong-ju, Choe Ryong-hae, Kim Ki-nam, Choe Thae-bok, Ri Su-yong, Kim Phyong-hae, O Su-yong, Kwak Pom-gi, Kim Yong-chol, Ri Man-gon, Ro Tu-chol, Pak Yong-sik, Ri Myong-su, Kim Won-hong and Choe Pu-il and Ri Yong-ho (October 2017), Kim Jae-ryong (April 2019)

### Alternate members of the Political Bureau

[edit]

* Kim Su-gil, Kim Nung-o, Pak Thae-song, Ri Yong-ho, Im Chol-ung, Jo Yon-jun, Ri Pyong-chol, No Kwang-chol and Ri Yong-gil, and Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong-sik, Ri Pyong-chol (October 2017)

### Secretariat of the Central Committee

[edit]

* Secretary: Choe Ryong-hae, Kim Ki-nam, Choe Thae-bok, Ri Su-yong, Kim Phyong-hae, O Su-yong, Kwak Pom-gi, Kim Yong-chol and Ri Man-gon

### Central Military Commission

[edit]

* Chairman: Kim Jong Un
* Members: Hwang Pyong-so, Pak Pong-ju, Pak Yong-sik, Ri Myong-su, Kim Yong-chol, Ri Man-gon, Kim Won-hong, Choe Pu-il, Kim Kyong-ok, Ri Yong-gil and So Hong-chan

### Departments of the Central Committee

[edit]

* Directors: Kim Ki-nam, Ri Su-yong, Kim Phyong-hae, O Su-yong, Kim Yong-chol, Ri Man-gon, Ri Il-hwan, An Jong-su, Ri Chol-man, Choe Sang-gon, Ri Yong-rae, Kim Jong-im, Kim Jung-hyop, Kim Man-song and Kim Yong-su

### Control Commission of the Central Committee

[edit]

* Chairman: Hong In-bom

## State leaders

[edit]

### State Affairs Commission of DPRK

[edit]

Members of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea are as follows:[citation needed]

* President: Kim Jong Un
* First Vice President of the State Affairs Commission: Choe Ryong-hae
* Members of the commission:
* Kim Tok-hun, Premier
* Ri Il-hwan, WPK Vice Chairman for Propaganda
* General of the Army Ri Yong-gil, Minister of the People's Armed Forces
* Ri Son-gwon, WPK Vice Chairman for International Relations
* Kim Yong-chol, WPK Vice Chairman for United Front Work
* Jong Kyong-thaek, Minister of State Security
* Ri Pyong-chol, Vice Chairman of the CMC, top advisor of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un
* General of the Army Ri Yong-gil, Minister of Public Security
* Kim Yong-jae, External Economic Relations (Foreign Trade)
* Kim Yo Jong, Deputy Department Director of the Publicity and Information Department

### Presidium of the SPA of the DPRK

[edit]

The Presidium of the SPA is as follows:[15]

* President: Choe Ryong-hae
* Vice presidents: Yang Hyong-sop and Kim Yong-dae
* Honorary vice-president: Kim Yong-ju, and Choe Yong-rim (since April 2013)
* Secretary general of the Presidium: Hong Son-ok (since April 2013)

#### Supreme People's Assembly

[edit]

The chairman and vice-chairpersons of the Supreme People's Assembly are:[15]

* Chairman: Pak Thae-song
* Vice-chairpersons: An Tong-chun and Ri Hye-jong (April 2014)

#### Cabinet

[edit]

Some ministers of the Cabinet of North Korea are as follows:[15]

* Premier: Kim Jae-ryong (April 2019)
* Vice Premiers: Ro Tu-chol (from April 2009), Ri Mu-yong (April 2014), Kim Yong Jin (April 2014), Ri Chol-man (since April 2012), Kim Tok-hun (April 2014)
* Minister of Foreign Affairs: Ri Son-gwon (21 January 2020)
* Minister of Finance: Choe Kwang-jin

## See also

[edit]

* North Korea portal
* Politics portal

* Politics of North Korea
* Government of South Korea
* State General Bureau of Tourist Guidance

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "North Korea names Kim Jong-un army commander". BBC News. 2011-12-31. Archived from the original on 2012-01-14.
2. ^ Teen Life in Asia By Judith J. Slater
3. ^ Kang, David C. "They Think They're Normal: Enduring Questions and New Research on North Korea- A Review Essay". International Security. 36 (3): 148.
4. ^ Kang, David C. "They Think They're Normal: Enduring Questions and New Research on North Korea- A Review Essay". International Security. 36 (3): 147.
5. ^ "S.Korea Outranks U.S. in Democracy Index". The Chosun Ilbo. 2013-03-22. Archived from the original on 2014-05-06. Retrieved 2013-04-15.
6. ^ "GlobaLex - Overview of the North Korean Legal System and Legal Research". Archived from the original on 2013-04-08. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
7. ^ a b "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices". U.S. Department of State. March 8, 2006. Retrieved 2006-02-22.
8. ^ "Freedom in the World, 2006". Freedom House. Archived from the original on 2007-07-14. Retrieved 2007-02-13.
9. ^ Teen Life in Asia By Judith J. Slate
10. ^ Kang, David C. "They Think They're Normal: Enduring Questions and New Research on North Korea—A Review Essay". International Security. 36 (3): 148.
11. ^ Fading Kim sets the stage for power play Archived 2012-06-12 at the Wayback Machine, Donald Kirk, SCMP, 11 June 2010
12. ^ "North Korea executes Kim Jong Un's uncle". Associated Press. 12 December 2013. Archived from the original on 13 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
13. ^ "DPRK Constitution Text Released Following 2016 Amdendments". nkleadershipwatch. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
14. ^ "N.Korea updates constitution expanding Kim Jong Un's position". NK News. 30 June 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
15. ^ a b c "Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments: Korea, North - NDE". Central Intelligence Agency. 21 June 2018. Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2018.

## External links

[edit]

* Minju Choson — the official newspaper of the government (in Korean)

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