Eternal President of the Republic
Chosŏn'gŭl	공화국의 영원한 주석
Hancha	共和國의 永遠한 主席
McCune–Reischauer	Konghwagugŭi Yŏngwŏnhan Chusŏk
Revised Romanization	Gonghwagugui Yeongwonhan Juseok

North Korea

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of North Korea

Constitution Juche Eternal President: Kim Il-sung Supreme Leader: Kim Jong-il Supreme People's Assembly President: Kim Yong-nam National Defence Commission Chairman: Kim Jong-il Government Premier: Kim Yong-il Subdivisions Judiciary Political parties Workers' Party of Korea Korean Social Democratic Party Chondoist Chongu Party Elections: 2003, 2009 Korean reunification Human rights Foreign relations Songun policy

Other countries · Atlas Politics portal view • talk • edit

The position Eternal President of the Republic (공화국의 영원한 주석) is established by a line in the preface to the North Korean constitution, amended on September 5, 1998. It reads:

"Under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Korean people will hold the great leader Comrade Kim Il-sung in high esteem as the eternal President of the Republic".^[1] Thus, it will only ever be held by him.

The line "eternal President of the Republic" only appears in the preface, not in the functional text of the constitution and it is not associated with any government office with particular responsibilities, powers, privileges, etc. Furthermore, the only person to have ever been referred to this way was dead at the time, so this reference does not constitute an actual office.

There is currently no president of the DPRK as the office was abolished in the 1998 constitution and its powers divided between three offices: the head of government, the Premier (currently Kim Yong-il); the President of the Supreme People's Assembly (currently Kim Yong-nam); and the head of the military, the Chairman of the National Defense Commission, who is Constitutionally the Supreme Leader of the country (currently Kim Jong-il).

[edit] See also

• President for Life
• List of state leaders
• North Korea
• List of Korea-related topics

[edit] References

1. ^ http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Constitution_of_North_Korea_%281972%29