General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea

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General Secretary of the
Workers' Party of Korea
조선로동당 총비서
WPK Chairman emblem.svg
Emblem of the WPK Chairman
WPK symbol.svg
Emblem 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
StyleComrade
(Korean: 동지; Hanja: 同志)
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
DeputySecretariat
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
Hangul
조선로동당 총비서
Hanja
Revised RomanizationJoseon Rodongdang Chongbiseo
McCune–ReischauerChosŏn Rodongdang Ch'ongbisŏ
Politics of North Korea
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Constitution
Workers' Party
Supreme People's Assembly
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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 and typically the supreme leader of 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 and leads the work of the Secretariat.[1][2] 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.[3] Later on 13 October 1945 the CPK established an internal North Korean Branch Bureau (NKBB) and nominated as branch secretary.[4] Hyon Chun-hyok was assassinated on 28 September 1945 and Kim Yong-bom was elected as branch secretary in his place.[5][6] On 10 April 1946 the NKBB became independent of the CPK and changed its name to Communist Party of North Korea (CPNK).[5] 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).[7] Kim Tu-bong was elected WPNK Chairman by the 1st WPNK Central Committee.[8] 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.[9] The WPSK Central Committee elected Ho Hon as its party chairman.[10] 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.[11]

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.[12] Kim Il-sung was elected to the office, and remained in office until his death on 8 July 1994.[12][13] 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.[13] Kim Jong-il was elected to the office by a joint announcement of the 6th Central Committee and the 6th Central Military Commission.[13] 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".[14] On 9 May 2016, the 7th WPK Congress abolished the office of First Secretary and the Secretariat and replaced it with Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea and the office of Vice Chairman of the WPK Central Committee.[15] A similar change took place at the 8th WPK Congress, where the offices of chairman and vice chairman was abolished and replaced by the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea office and the Secretariat.[16]

Title history[]

Title Established Abolished Established by
Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Korea
조선공산당 중앙위원회 위원장 		14 September 1945 10 April 1946
First Secretary of the North Korean Branch Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea
조선공산당 북조선분국 비서 		13 October 1945 10 April 1946
First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of North Korea
북조선공산당 중앙위원회 위원장 		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
남조선공산당 중앙위원회 위원장 		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
북조선로동당 중앙위원회 위원장 		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
남조선로동당 중앙위원회 위원장 		24 November 1946 24 June 1949
Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
조선로동당 중앙위원회 위원장 		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
조선로동당 중앙위원회 총비서 		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
조선로동당 총비서 		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
조선로동당 제1비서 		11 April 2012 9 May 2016
Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea
조선로동당 위원장 		9 May 2016 10 January 2021 7th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
조선로동당 총비서 		10 January 2021 onwards 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea
References:
[12][13][14][15][16][17]

Predecessors (1945–49)[]

National[]

№
[note 1] 		Portrait Name Hangul Birth Death Took office Left office Duration
1 1946 박헌영.jpg Pak Hon-yong 박헌영 1900 1955 14 September 1945 10 April 1946 208 days
References:
[3]

In the North[]

№
[note 1] 		Portrait Name Hangul Birth Death Took office Left office Duration
1 Kim Yong-bom (cropped).jpg Kim Yong-bom 김용범 1902 1947 13 October 1945 18 December 1945 66 days
2 Kim Il-sung in 1950.jpg Kim Il-sung 김일성 1912 1994 18 December 1945 30 August 1946 255 days
3 Kim Tu-bong 2.jpg Kim Tu-bong 김두봉 1889 1958 31 August 1946 24 June 1949 2 years and 297 days
References:
[18][19][20]

In the South[]

№
[note 1] 		Portrait Name Hangul Birth Death Took office Left office Duration
1 1946 박헌영.jpg Pak Hon-yong 박헌영 1900 1955 10 April 1946 24 November 1946 228 days
2 Ho Hon 2.jpg Ho Hon 허헌 1885 1951 24 November 1946 24 June 1949 2 years and 212 days
References:
[10]

Leaders of the Workers' Party of Korea[]

By officeholders[]

№
[note 1] 		Portrait Name Hangul Birth Death Took office Left office Duration
1 Kim Il-sung in 1950.jpg Kim Il-sung 김일성 1912 1994 24 June 1949 8 July 1994 45 years and 14 days
—
—
 Vacant
—
—
—
 8 July 1994 8 October 1997 3 years and 92 days
2 Kim Jong-il on 24 August 2011.jpg Kim Jong-il 김정일 1941 2011 8 October 1997 17 December 2011 14 years and 70 days
—
—
 Vacant
—
—
—
 17 December 2011 11 April 2012 116 days
3 Kim Jong-un April 2019 (cropped).jpg Kim Jong-un 김정은 1983
—
 11 April 2012 Incumbent 9 years and 157 days
References:
[11][13][15]

By term[]

Congress Term Start End Duration Leader
1st Congress 1st Central Committee 30 August 1946 30 March 1948 1 year and 213 days Kim Tu-bong
2nd Congress 2nd Central Committee 30 March 1948 29 April 1956 8 years and 30 days Kim Tu-bong
Kim Il-sung
3rd Congress 3rd Central Committee 29 April 1956 18 September 1961 5 years and 142 days Kim Il-sung
4th Congress 4th Central Committee 18 September 1961 13 November 1970 9 years and 56 days Kim Il-sung
5th Congress 5th Central Committee 13 November 1970 14 October 1980 9 years and 336 days Kim Il-sung
6th Congress 6th Central Committee 14 October 1980 9 May 2016 35 years and 208 days Kim Il-sung
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-un
7th Congress 7th Central Committee 9 May 2016 10 January 2021 4 years and 246 days Kim Jong-un
8th Congress 8th Central Committee 10 January 2021 Incumbent 248 days Kim Jong-un
References:
[11][13][15][16][21][22][23][24][25]

See also[]

Noter[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d These numbers are not official.

References[]

Footnotes[]

  1. ^ Madden, Michael (2 February 2012). "4th Party Conference To Convene in "mid-April"". North Korea Leadership Watch. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  2. ^ Madden, Michael. "Party Secretariat". North Korea Leadership Watch. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Suh 1981, p. 281.
  4. ^ Suh 1981, pp. 279–80.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Suh 1981, p. 280.
  6. ^ Chong-sik 1963, p. 5.
  7. ^ Suh 1981, pp. 282–3.
  8. ^ Suh 1981, p. 283.
  9. ^ Suh 1981, p. 282.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Suh 1981, p. 318.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b c Suh 1981, p. 321.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b c Suh 1981, p. 328.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Gause 2011, p. 18.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b Gause 2013, pp. 40–41.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c d 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.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b c 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.
  17. ^ Suh 1981, pp. 279–83.
  18. ^ Suh 1981, pp. 281–82.
  19. ^ Suh 1981, p. 316.
  20. ^ Suh 1981, p. 319.
  21. ^ Suh 1981, pp. 316–17.
  22. ^ Suh 1981, pp. 319–20.
  23. ^ Suh 1981, p. 322.
  24. ^ Suh 1981, p. 325.
  25. ^ Suh 1981, p. 332.

Bibliography[]

Books:

  • Gause, Ken E. (2011). North Korea Under Kim Chong-il: Power, Politics, and Prospects for Change. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0313381751.
  • 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 978-1442218123.
  • 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.

Journal articles:

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