Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea

	Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea
Chosŏn'gŭl	조선로동당 중앙위원회 정치국
Hancha	朝鮮勞動黨中央委員會政治局
Revised Romanization	Chosŏn Rodongdang Chungang Wiwŏnhoe Chŏngch'igung
McCune–Reischauer	Joseon Rodongdang Jungang Wiwonhoe Jeongchigung

The Politburo, officially the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), formerly the Standing Committee (1946–61), is the highest decision-making body in the party between sessions of the Central Committee. Article 25 of the Party Charter stipulates that "The Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee and its Standing Committee organize and direct all party work on behalf of the party Central Committee between plenary meetings. The Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee shall meet at least once every month."[1] The Politburo is elected by the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.

History

Until April 1956, the Politburo was known as the Political Council.[2] After Kim Il-sung's unitary ruling system was established in the 1960s, the Politburo was transformed from a decision-making body where policies could be discussed into a rubber stamp body.[3] Leading members have disappeared without explanation; the last was Kim Tong-gyu, in 1977.[4] Politburo members under Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il lacked a strong power base, and depended on the party leader for their position.[4] Because of this, the Politburo became a loyal servant of the party leader.[4]

The Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) of the Workers' Party of Korea was established at the 6th Congress in 1980, and became the highest WPK body when the Politburo and the Central Committee were not in session.[5] With the death of O Jin-u in 1995, Kim Jong-il remained the only member of the Politburo Standing Committee still alive; the four others (Kim Il-sung, Kim Il, O Jin-u, and Ri Jong-ok) died in office.[6] Between O Jin-u's death and the 3rd Conference, there were no reports indicating that Kim Jong-il or the central party leadership was planning to renew the PSC composition.[7]

Similar to the Central Committee, the Politburo was dormant during much of Kim Jong-il's rule;[8] however, the 3rd Conference elected new Politburo members.[8] While many foreign observers believed it would signify a generational shift, it did not; the youngest member was 53 years old, and the average age was 74 (with 12 over age 80).[8] The majority of new members were aides to Kim Jong-il or Kim family members.[8] Kim Kyong-hui (Kim Jong-il's sister) and Jang Song-thaek (Kim Kyong-hui's husband) were appointed full and candidate member, respectively.[8] Several of Jang's proteges were elected candidate members, including Ju Sang-song (Minister of People's Security), U Tong-chuk (First Deputy Director of the State Security Department) and Choe Ryong-hae (Secretary for Military Affairs).[8] Pak Jong-su (First Deputy Head of the Organization and Guidance Department), a leading facilitator of Kim Jong-un's succession, was appointed a candidate member.[8] Most of the new members were cabinet members, military officials, party secretaries or officials from the security establishment.[8] Ten members from the National Defense Commission and three deputy premiers were appointed to the Politbüro.[8] Leading economic experts (such as Hong Sok-yong and Tae Jong-su) and foreign experts (such as Kang Sok-ju, Kim Yong-il and Kim Yang-gon) became members.[8] At the 4th Conference, one-third of the Politburo was dismissed in unannounced retirements and dismissals.[9] Jang Song-thaek, Pak To-chun and Vice Marshal Kim Jong-gak were promoted from candidate to full membership; Hyon Chol-hae, Kim Won-hong and Ri Myong-su, all members of the Central Military Commission, were appointed to full Politburo membership.[10] Kwak Pom-gi, O Kuk-ryol, Ro Tu-chol, Ri Pyong-sam and Jo Yon-jun were elected candidate members.[10]

Role

Officially, the Politburo is responsible for conducting its activities as well as deciding on important issues between two Central Committee plenums and should meet once a month. Its members include important state and military leaders, as the Premier and the vice-chairmen of the State Affairs Commission.

The Politburo's inner body is the Presidium (formerly the Standing Committee), elected by the WPK Central Committee, in charge of day-to-day party work. It is usually made up of the supreme leader and four other members. In practice, the Presidium is the highest body in both the party and the country, and its decisions de facto have the force of law.

Current membership

As of 10 January 2021, the Politburo is composed of 19 members and 11 alternate members.

Members

	Member since	Party position(s)	State position(s)
Kim Jong-un 김정은 (born 1984)	11 April 2012	General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Politburo Presidium Member Chairman of the Central Military Commission	Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of North Korea
Choe Ryong-hae 최룡해 (born 1950)	11 April 2012	Politburo Presidium Member	First Vice Chairman of the State Affairs Commission President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly
Ri Pyong-chol 리병철 (born 1948)	31 December 2019	Politburo Presidium Member Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Secretary of the Central Committee	Member of the State Affairs Commission
Kim Tok-hun 김덕훈 (born 1962)	31 December 2019	Politburo Presidium Member	Premier of North Korea
Jo Yong-won 조용원	10 January 2021	Politburo Presidium Member Secretary of the Central Committee Member of the Central Military Commission
Pak Thae-song 박태성 (born 1955)	9 May 2016	Secretary of the Central Committee Director of the Information and Publicity Department	Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly
Pak Jong-chon 박정천	11 April 2020	Member of the Central Military Commission	Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army
Jong Sang-hak 정상학	10 January 2021	Secretary of the Central Committee Chairman of the Central Auditing Commission
Ri Il-hwan 리일환 (born 1960)	31 December 2019	Secretary of the Central Committee Director of the Working Organization Department
Kim Tu-il 김두일	10 January 2021	Secretary of the Central Committee Director of the Economic Affairs Department
Choe Sang-gon 최상건 (born 1953)	10 January 2021	Secretary of the Central Committee Director of the Science and Education Department	Minister of Education
Kim Jae-ryong 김재룡 (born 1959)	9 April 2019	Secretary of the Central Committee Director of the Organizational Leadership Department	Member of the State Affairs Commission
O Il-jong 오일정 (born 1954)	10 January 2021	Secretary of the Central Committee Member of the Central Military Commission Director of the Military Leadership Department
Kim Yong-chol 김영철 (born 1946)	9 May 2016	Secretary of the Central Committee Director of the United Front Department	Member of the State Affairs Commission
O Su-yong 오수용 (born 1944)	18 February 2015	Member of the Central Military Commission Chairman of the Second Economic Committee
Kwon Yong-jin 권영진	10 January 2021	Director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army
Kim Jong-gwan 김정관	31 December 2019	Member of the Central Military Commission	Minister of the National Defense
Jong Kyong-thaek 정경택 (born 1961)	10 April 2019	Member of the Central Military Commission	Member of the State Affairs Commission Minister of State Security
Ri Yong-gil 리영길 (born 1955)	10 January 2021	Member of the Central Military Commission	Minister of Public Security

Alternate members

	Alternate member since	Party position(s)	State position(s)
Pak Thae-dok 박태덕 (born 1955)	10 January 2021	Vice Chairman of the Central Auditing Commission Director of the Discipline Investigation Department
Pak Myong-sun 박명순	13 August 2020	Director of the Light Industry Department
Ho Chol-man 허철만	31 December 2019	Director of the Cadre Department
Ri Chol-man 리철만 (born 1968)	10 January 2021	Director of the Agriculture Department
Kim Hyong-sik 김형식	10 January 2021	Director of the Legal Department
Thae Hyong-chol 태형철 (born 1953)	10 January 2021		Vice President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly
Kim Yong-hwan 김영환	7 June 2020	Chief Secretary of the WPK Pyongyang City Committee
Pak Jong-gun 박정근	10 January 2021		Vice Chairman of the State Planning Commission
Yang Sung-ho 양승호	10 January 2021		Vice Premier of the Cabinet
Jon Hyon-chol 전현철	10 January 2021	Director of the Economic Policy Office
Ri Son-gwon 리선권	10 January 2021		Minister of Foreign Affairs

References

"Rules of the Workers' Party of Korea (28 September 2010) (조선로동당규약—2010년 9월 28일)" (PDF). September 28, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 22, 2017.
Lankov 1999, p. 47.
Buzo 1999, p. 31.
Buzo 1999, p. 32.
Kim 1982, p. 140.
Kim 2000, p. 257.
Kim 2000, pp. 257–258.
Gause 2011, p. 148.
Gause 2013, p. 40.
"Kim Jong Un Appointed "First Secretary" of Korean Workers' Party". North Korea Leadership Watch. April 11, 2012. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2014.

Bibliography

Articles, books and journal entries

Haggard, Stephen; Herman, Luke; Ryu, Jaesung (July–August 2014). "Political Change in North Korea: Mapping the Succession". Asian Survey. University of California Press. 54 (4): 773–780. doi:10.1525/as.2014.54.4.773. JSTOR 10.1525/as.2014.54.4.773.
Kim, Nam-Sik (Spring–Summer 1982). "North Korea's Power Structure and Foreign Relations: an Analysis of the Sixth Congress of the KWP". The Journal of East Asian Affairs. Institute for National Security Strategy. 2 (1): 125–151. JSTOR 23253510.
Lankov, Andrei N. (1999). "Kim Il Sung's Campaign against the Soviet Faction in Late 1955 and the Birth of Chuch'e". Korean Studies. 23 (1): 43–67. doi:10.1353/ks.1999.0003. ISSN 1529-1529.
Staff writer (2012 & 2014). Understanding North Korea. Ministry of Unification. Check date values in: |year= (help)

Books

Buzo, Adrian (1999). The Guerilla Dynasty: Politics and Leadership in North Korea. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1860644147.
Gause, Ken E. (2011). North Korea Under Kim Chong-il: Power, Politics, and Prospects for Change. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0313381751.
— (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.
Kim, Samuel (2000). "North Korean Informal Politics". Informal Politics in East Asia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521645387.
Lankov, Andrei (2007). Crisis in North Korea: The Failure of De-Stalinization, 1956. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0824832070.
Suh, Dae-sook (1988). Kim Il Sung: The North Korean Leader (1st ed.). Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231065736.

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[1] "Rules of the Workers' Party of Korea (28 September 2010) (조선로동당규약—2010년 9월 28일)" (PDF). September 28, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 22, 2017.

[FOOTNOTELankov199947-2] Lankov 1999, p. 47.

[FOOTNOTEBuzo199931-3] Buzo 1999, p. 31.

[FOOTNOTEBuzo199932-4] Buzo 1999, p. 32.

[FOOTNOTEKim1982140-5] Kim 1982, p. 140.

[FOOTNOTEKim2000257-6] Kim 2000, p. 257.

[FOOTNOTEKim2000257–258-7] Kim 2000, pp. 257–258.

[FOOTNOTEGause2011148-8] Gause 2011, p. 148.

[FOOTNOTEGause201340-9] Gause 2013, p. 40.

[4thconferencepolitburo-10] "Kim Jong Un Appointed "First Secretary" of Korean Workers' Party". North Korea Leadership Watch. April 11, 2012. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2014.