Supreme Leader (North Korean title)
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The following is a list of political leaders of North Korea.
Prior to the proclamation of a North Korean state, the Soviet Union had established in 1946 the Provisional People's Committee for North Korea as a de facto government in their occupation zone. Its chairman was Kim Il-sung.
On 9 September 1948 a North Korean state, called the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), was proclaimed under the leadership of Kim Il-sung and took the governmental functions over from the Provisional People's Committee.
Since its founding, the most important position in the DPRK has been that of the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) — titled as chairman from 1948 to 1966, general secretary from 1966 to 2011 and first secretary since 2011. For all intents and purposes, the WPK is the only legal party in the country (two minor parties exist, but are completely subservient to the WPK), and its leader exercises absolute control over the country. The government serves largely as a transmission belt for the party.
The formal head of state originally was the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly. On December 28, 1972 party leader and Premier Kim Il-sung proclaimed himself President and thus become head of state. He held this office until his death on July 8, 1994 when he was proclaimed the "Eternal President of the Republic". Since then, de jure functions of the head of state had been conferred to the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.
After the death of Kim Il-sung, his son Kim Jong-il held supreme power in the country as Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea and General Secretary of the party until his own death on December 17, 2011.
The current leader is Kim Jong-il's son Kim Jong-un, who was revealed to be in charge of the country since his father's death by the Rodong Sinmun and finally publicly acknowledged as supreme leader at the military review ending Kim Jong-il's funeral on December 29, 2011.
Government is headed by the Premier of the Cabinet, formerly called Premier of the Council of Ministers.
Other important institutions include the Supreme People's Assembly, whose sessions are chaired by a Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly, and, since 1993, the Chairman of the National Defence Commission, which hold supreme command of the DPRK's armed forces.
Since 1997, the SPA chairman, premier and National Defence Commission chairman have officially formed a triumvirate heading the executive branch, with powers equivalent to one-third of a president's powers in other presidential systems. The SPA chairman conducts foreign affairs and receives the credentials of ambassadors, the premier handles domestic policy and the NDC chairman commands the armed forces. In practice, however, the real power is vested in the NDC chairman (who has also been leader of the Workers' Party), an office constitutionally defined as the "highest post in the state."
Supreme leaders
To date, "supreme leader" has been applied to three individual North Korean leaders, from three generations of a single family (dates approximate and open to dispute):
- Generations of leadership
First generation Second generation Third generation
| Picture | Name | Offices Held | Period | Supreme Rule | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Kim Il-sung 김일성 金日成 (1912–1994) 
| ||||
| Supreme Commander of the KPA | February 8, 1948 – December 24, 1991 | September 9, 1948 ↓ July 8, 1994 (45 years, 302 days) |
Workers' Party of Korea | ||
| Prime Minister of the DPRK Cabinet | September 9, 1948 – December 28, 1972 | ||||
| Chairman of the WPK Central Committee | June 30, 1949 – October 11, 1966 | ||||
| Chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission | 1950 – July 8, 1994 | ||||
| General Secretary of the WPK Central Committee | October 11, 1966 – July 8, 1994 | ||||
| President of the DPRK | December 28, 1972 – July 8, 1994 | ||||
| Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK | December 28, 1972 - April 9, 1993 | ||||
| Eternal President of the DPRK | July 8, 1994 – Incumbent | ||||
|
Kim Jong-il 김정일 金正日 (1941/1942–2011) 
| ||||
| Supreme Commander of the KPA | December 24, 1991 – December 17, 2011 | July 8, 1994 ↓ December 17, 2011 (17 years, 162 days) |
Workers' Party of Korea | ||
| Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK | April 9, 1993 – December 17, 2011 | ||||
| General Secretary of the WPK Central Committee | October 8, 1997 – December 17, 2011 | ||||
| Chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission | |||||
| Eternal General Secretary of the WPK Central Committee | April 11, 2012 – Incumbent | ||||
| Eternal Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK | April 13, 2012 – Incumbent | ||||
|
Kim Jong-un 김정은 金正恩 (1983/1984–) 
|
Supreme Commander of the KPA | December 30, 2011 – Incumbent | December 29, 2011 ↓ Incumbent (12 years, 216 days) |
Workers' Party of Korea |
| First Secretary of the WPK Central Committee | April 11, 2012 – Incumbent | ||||
| Chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission | |||||
| First Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK | April 13, 2012 – Incumbent |
Leaders of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK)
| # | Picture | Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairmen of the Central Committee | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 1 | |
Kim Tu-bong | 28 August 1946 | 30 June 1949 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 2 | |
Kim Il-sung | 30 June 1949 | 11 October 1966 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| General Secretaries of the Central Committee | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 1 | |
Kim Il-sung | 11 October 1966 | 8 July 1994 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 2 | |
Kim Jong-il | 8 October 1997 | Incumbent | Workers' Party of Korea |
| First Secretary of the Central Committee | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 1 | |
Kim Jong-un | 11 April 2012 | Incumbent | Workers' Party of Korea |
Kim Jong-il died on 17 December 2011, but has since been posthumously named the "Eternal General Secretary". Thus his son and successor as leader, Kim Jong-un, was not given the title of General Secretary.
Heads of state
| # | Picture | Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 1 | |
Kim Tu-bong | 9 September 1948 | 20 September 1957 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 2 | |
Choi Yong-kun | 20 September 1957 | 28 December 1972 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| President of the Republic | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 1 | |
Kim Il-sung | 28 December 1972 | Incumbent | Workers' Party of Korea |
| Presidents of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 3 | |
Yang Hyong-sop | 8 July 1994 | 5 September 1998 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 4 | |
Kim Yong-nam | 5 September 1998 | Incumbent | Workers' Party of Korea |
Kim Il-sung died on 8 July 1994, but has since been posthumously named the "Eternal President of the Republic". Thus his son and successor as leader, the late Kim Jong-il, was not given the title of President and the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly became de jure head of state.
Heads of government
| # | Picture | Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister of the Cabinet | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 1 | |
Kim Il-sung | 9 September 1948 | 28 December 1972 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| Premiers of the Council of Ministers | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 1 | |
Kim Il | 28 December 1972 | 29 April 1976 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 2 | File:Picture of Pak Song-chol.jpeg | Pak Song-chol | 19 April 1976 | 16 December 1977 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 3 |  |
Li Jong-ok | 16 December 1977 | 27 January 1984 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 4 | |
Kang Song-san | 27 January 1984 | 29 December 1986 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 5 | |
Li Gun-mo | 29 December 1986 | 12 December 1988 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 6 | |
Yon Hyong-muk | 12 December 1988 | 11 December 1992 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 7 | |
Kang Song-san | 11 December 1992 | 21 February 1997 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | — | |
Hong Song-nam Acting |
21 February 1997 | 5 September 1998 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| Premiers of the Cabinet | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 1 | |
Hong Song-nam | 5 September 1998 | 3 September 2003 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 2 | |
Pak Pong-ju | 3 September 2003 | 11 April 2007 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 3 | |
Kim Yong-il | 11 April 2007 | 7 June 2010 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 4 | |
Choe Yong-rim | 7 June 2010 | 1 April 2013 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 5 | |
Pak Pong-ju | 1 April 2013 | Incumbent | Workers' Party of Korea |
Heads of parliament
| # | Picture | Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 1 | |
Kim Tu-bong | 9 September 1948 | 20 September 1957 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 2 | |
Choi Yong-kun | 20 September 1957 | 28 December 1972 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 3 |  |
Hwang Jang-yop | 28 December 1972 | 1983 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 4 | |
Yang Hyong-sop | 1983 | 5 September 1998 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 5 | |
Choe Thae-bok | 5 September 1998 | Incumbent | Workers' Party of Korea |
Heads of the military
| # | Picture | Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 1 | |
Kim Il-sung | 1950 | 28 December 1972 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| Chairman of the National Defence Commission | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 1 | |
Kim Il-sung | 28 December 1972 | 9 April 1993 | Workers' Party of Korea |
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 2 | |
Kim Jong-il | 9 April 1993 | Incumbent | Workers' Party of Korea |
| First Chairman of the National Defence Commission | |||||
| style="background:Template:Workers' Party of Korea/meta/color; color:white;" | 1 | |
Kim Jong-un | 13 April 2012 | Incumbent | Workers' Party of Korea |
Kim Jong-il died on 17 December 2011, but has since been posthumously named the "Eternal Chairman of the National Defence Commission". Thus his son and successor as leader, Kim Jong-un, was not given the title of Chairman.