General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea

General Secretary of the
Workers' Party of Korea
조선로동당 총비서
WPK Chairman emblem.svg
Emblem of the WPK Chairman
Flag of the Workers' Party of Korea.svg
Flag of the Workers' Party of Korea
Kim Jong-un April 2019 (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Kim Jong-un

since 10 January 2021
Workers' Party of Korea
TypeParty leader
Supreme leader
ResidenceForbidden City
SeatPyongyang
NominatorWPK Congress
AppointerWPK Congress
Term lengthNo fixed term
Constituting instrumentWPK Charter
Inaugural holderKim Tu-bong
Formation28 August 1946
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
Hangul
조선로동당 총비서
Hanja
朝鮮勞動黨總秘書
Revised RomanizationJoseon Rodongdang Chongbiseo
McCune–ReischauerChosŏn Rodongdang Ch'ongbisŏ

The General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (Korean: 조선로동당 총비서) is the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party in North Korea. Party rules stipulate that the General Secretary is elected by the party congress. The party leader can also be removed and elected by the party conference and by the Central Committee. The General Secretary is ex officio of the Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea[1] and leads the work of the Secretariat. Additionally the General Secretary is by right of office member of the WPK Presidium, the WPK Politburo and the WPK Central Committee.

The office traces its lineage back to the reestablishment of the Communist Party of Korea (CPK) on 14 September 1945 when Pak Hon-yong was elected Chairman of the CPK Central Committee.[2] Later on 13 October 1945 the CPK established an internal North Korean Branch Bureau (NKBB) and elected Hyon Chun-hyok as branch secretary.[3] On 10 April 1946 the NKBB became independent of the CPK and changed its name to Communist Party of North Korea (CPNK).[4] Later that year, on 30 August, the CPNK merged with the New People's Party of Korea to establish the Workers' Party of North Korea (WPNK).[5] Kim Tu-bong was elected WPNK Chairman by the 1st WPNK Central Committee.[6] In the meantime the Workers' Party of South Korea was established through the merger of the Communist Party of South Korea, New People's Party of Korea and a faction of the People's Party of Korea on 24 November 1946.[7] The WPSK Central Committee elected Ho Hon as its party chairman.[8] On the merger of the WPNK with the Workers' Party of South Korea on 24 June, the 2nd Central Committee elected Kim Il-sung as Chairman of the WPK Central Committee.[9]

The offices of Chairman and Vice Chairman of the WPK Central Committee was abolished on 12 October 1966 and replaced with the offices of General Secretary and Secretary of the WPK Central Committee by a decision of the 14th Plenary Session of the 4th Central Committee.[10] Kim Il-sung was elected to the office, and remained in office until his death on 8 July 1994.[10][11] The post was left vacant for three years and then abolished and replaced by the office of General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea on 8 October 1997.[11] Kim Jong-il was elected to the office by a joint announcement of the 6th Central Committee and the 6th Central Military Commission.[11] Kim Jong-il remained in office until his death on 17 December 2011. Kim Jong-un was elected First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea on 11 April 2012, and his father Kim Jong-il was given the appellation "Eternal General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea".[12] On 9 May 2016, the 7th WPK Congress abolished the office of First Secretary and replaced it with Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea.[13] A similar change took place at the 8th WPK Congress, where the office of chairman was abolished and replaced by the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea office.[14]

Leader offices

Title Established Abolished Established by
Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Korea 14 September 1945 10 April 1946 1945 Congress of the Communist Party of Korea
Secretary of the North Korean Branch Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea 13 October 1945 10 April 1946 Conference on Establishing the North Korean Branch Bureau
Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea 10 April 1946 30 August 1946 5th Enlarged Plenary Session of the North Korean Branch Bureau's Executive Committee
Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of South Korea 10 April 1946 24 November 1946 April Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Korea
Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of North Korea 30 August 1946 24 June 1949 1st Congress of the Workers' Party of North Korea
Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of South Korea 24 November 1946 24 June 1949 1st Congress of the Workers' Party of South Korea
Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea 24 June 1949 12 October 1966 1st Joint Plenary Session of the 2nd Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea 12 October 1966 8 October 1997 14th Plenary Session of the 4th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea 8 October 1997 11 April 2012 Joint Communique of the 6th Central Committee and the 6th Central Military Commission
First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea 11 April 2012 9 May 2016 4th Conference of the Workers' Party of Korea
Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea 9 May 2016 10 January 2021 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea 10 January 2021 onwards 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea
References:
[10][11][12][13][14][15]

Predecessors (1945–49)

National


[note 1]
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Took office Left office Elected by
1 1946 박헌영.jpg Pak Hon-yong
박헌영
1900–1955
14 September 1945 10 April 1946 CPK Central Committee

In the North


[note 1]
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Took office Left office Elected by
1
Hyon Chun-hyok
?–1945
13 October 1945 28 September 1945 1st Enlarged Plenary Session
2 Kim Yong-bom (cropped).jpg Kim Yong-bom
김용범
1902–1947
15 November 1945 18 December 1945 2nd Enlarged Plenary Session
3 Kim Il-sung in 1950.jpg Kim Il-sung
김일성
1912–1994
18 December 1945 30 August 1946 3rd Enlarged Plenary Session
4 Kim Tu-bong 2.jpg Kim Tu-bong
김두봉
1889–1958
31 August 1946 30 June 1949 1st Central Committee

In the South


[note 1]
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Took office Left office Elected by
1 1946 박헌영.jpg Pak Hon-yong
박헌영
1900–1955
10 April 1946 24 November 1946 CPK Central Committee
2 Ho Hon 2.jpg Ho Hon
허헌
1885–1951
31 August 1946 30 June 1949 WPSK Central Committee

Leaders of the Workers' Party of Korea

By officeholders


[note 1]
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Took office Left office Elected by
1 Kim Il-sung in 1950.jpg Kim Il-sung
김일성
1912–1994
30 June 1949 8 July 1994 6th Central Committee
Vacant 8 July 1994 8 October 1997
2 Kim Jong-il on August 24, 2011 (mini).jpg Kim Il-sung
김일성
1912–1994
8 October 1997 17 December 2011 6th Central Committee
Vacant 17 December 2011 11 April 2012
3 Kim Jong-un April 2019 (cropped).jpg Kim Jong-un
김정은
born 1983
11 April 2012 Incumbent 3rd Conference

By term

Congress Term Start End Leader
1st Congress 1st Central Committee 30 August 1946 30 March 1948 Kim Tu-bong
2nd Congress 2nd Central Committee 30 March 1948 24 June 1949 Kim Tu-bong
Kim Il-sung
3rd Congress 3rd Central Committee 29 April 1956 18 September 1961 Kim Il-sung
4th Congress 4th Central Committee 18 September 1961 13 November 1970 Kim Il-sung
5th Congress 5th Central Committee 13 November 1970 14 October 1980 Kim Il-sung
6th Congress 6th Central Committee 14 October 1980 9 May 2016 Kim Il-sung
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-un
7th Congress 7th Central Committee 9 May 2016 10 January 2021 Kim Jong-un
8th Congress 8th Central Committee 10 January 2021 Incumbent Kim Jong-un

See also

  • Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea
  • Secretariat of the Workers' Party of Korea

Noter

  1. ^ a b c d These numbers are not official.

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ "4th Party Conference To Convene in "mid-April"". North Korea Leadership Watch. 2 February 2012. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  2. ^ Suh 1981, p. 281.
  3. ^ Suh 1981, pp. 279–80.
  4. ^ Suh 1981, p. 280.
  5. ^ Suh 1981, pp. 282–3.
  6. ^ Suh 1981, p. 283.
  7. ^ Suh 1981, p. 282.
  8. ^ Suh 1981, p. 318.
  9. ^ Suh 1981, p. 321.
  10. ^ a b c Suh 1981, p. 328.
  11. ^ a b c d Yonguso 1997, p. 668.
  12. ^ a b Gause 2013, pp. 40–41.
  13. ^ a b Madden, Michael (20 May 2016). "Deciphering the 7th Party Congress: A Teaser for Greater Change?". 38 North. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  14. ^ a b Ruediger, Frank (19 January 2021). "Key Results of The Eighth Party Congress in North Korea (Part 2 of 2)". 38 North. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  15. ^ Suh 1981, pp. 279–83.

Bibliography

  • Gause, Ken (2013). "The Role and Influence of the Party Apparatus". In Park, Kyung-ae; Snyder, Scott (eds.). North Korea in Transition: Politics, Economy, and Society. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 19–46. ISBN 1442218126.
  • Suh, Dae-sook (1981). Korean Communism 1945–1980: A Reference Guide to the Political System (1st ed.). University Press of Hawaii. ISBN 0-8248-0740-5.
  • Yonguso, Pyonghwa Tongil (1997). Korea and the World. University of California. Research Center for Peace and Unification.
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