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

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The National Defence Commission of North Korea (NDC) is defined by the 1998 constitution as “the highest guiding organ of the military and the managing organ of military matters.” The Chairman of the NDC controls the armed forces and, in this state where the military pre-dominates, is the most powerful position in the country. It is currently held by Kim Jong-Il.

The First Session of the 12th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK was re-elected Kim Jong Il chairman of the NDC of the DPRK. Jo Myong-rok was elected first deputy chairman, Kim Young-chun, Ri Yong-mu and Oh Kuk-ryol deputy chairmen and Chun Byung-ho, Kim Il-chul, Paik Se-bong, Chang Sung-taek, Choo Sang-sung, Woo Dong-cuk, Choo Kyu-chang, and Kim Jong-kak members of the NDC.

[edit] History

At the Seventh Supreme People's Assembly on April 5, 1982, the Ministry of People's Armed Forces (along with the Ministry of Public Security and the State Inspection Commission) was separated from the State Administration Council and made responsible to the president alone. On December 24, 1991, however, the constitutional and legal requirements were muddied when it was announced that President Kim's son and heir apparent, Kim Jong Il, had been named supreme commander.

North Korea needed a legal basis if Kim Jong-il was to take full control of the military after he ascended to the position of supreme commander of the people's army, a position without legal or administrative power. The 3rd session of the Supreme People's Assembly revised the constitution in April 1992, abolishing the state president's concurrent chairmanship of the National Defence Commission, and made the commission an independent body. The new 1992 constitution continued a trend of increasing the importance and independence of the National Defence Commission. Links to the Central People's Committee were apparently severed and the commission became directly subordinate to the Supreme People's Assembly. Under previous constitutions, the president was empowered as the supreme commander of the armed forces and as chairman of the National Defence Commission. The 1992 state constitution deleted clauses in the 1972 constitution that stipulated that the president was supreme commander of the armed forces and chairman of the National Defence Commission, shifting powers instead to the Supreme People's Assembly and the National Defence Commission. Under the revisions, the president retains only the power to recommend the election or recall of the chairman of the National Defense Commission. The younger Kim assumed chairmanship of the commission in April 1993.

The National Defence Commission was separated from the Central Committee at the 1st session of the 9th-term Supreme People's Assembly in April, 1998, and was given a status equal to its former ruling body. The 1st session of the 10th-term Supreme People's Assembly on September 5, 1998 enhanced the status of the National Defence Commission to a top organ of the state by placing management and direction of all military affairs and defense projects under the commission's authority. The National Defence Commission, though nominally under the Supreme People's Assembly, was confirmed as the highest state body, with ultimate executive power (including responsibility for the armed forces) resting with its chairman, Kim Jong-il.

[edit] Composition of the DPRK NDC (as of 2009)

• Chairman: Marshal of the DPRK Kim Jong-il (1993-)
• 1st Vice Chairman: Vice Marshal of the KPA Jo Myong-rok, Director, KPA General Political Bureau
• Vice Chairmen:
  • Marshal of the KPA Kim Yong-chun, Secretary of the People's Armed Forces
  • Vice Marshal of the KPA Ri Yong-mu
  • General of the Army O Kuk-ryol, Secretary, WPK Department of Operations
• Members of the Commission
  • Jon Pyong-ho, Secretary of Military Industries
  • Vice Marshal of the KPA Kim Il-chol, 1st Deputy Secretary, Department of the People's Armed Forces
  • Paek Se-bong, Chairman, WPK 2nd Economic Committee
  • Jang Song-taek, Secretary, WPK Administrative Department
  • General of the Army Ju Sang-song, Secretary of Public Security
  • Lieutenant General U Tong-chuk
  • Ju Kyu-chang, 1st Deputy Secretary, Department of Military Industries
  • General of the Army Kim Jong-gak, 1st Deputy Director, KPA-GPB

[edit] See also

• Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea