Eternal leaders of Juche Korea

Eternal Leaders of North Korea
주체조선의 영원한 수령
Incumbent
Kim Il Sung
and
Kim Jong Il
since 13 April 2012
Residence Kumsusan Palace of the Sun (Resting place)
Seat Pyongyang, DPRK
Constituting instrument Constitution of North Korea
Formation

28 December 1972 (formation of President of North Korea)
5 September 1998 (Eternal President of the Republic)


13 April 2012 (Eternal Leaders of Juche Korea)
North Korea
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Constitution
Eternal leaders of Juche Korea
Chosŏn'gŭl 주체조선의 영원한 수령
Hancha 主體朝鮮의 永遠한 首領
Revised Romanization
Juchejoseonui Yeongwonhan Suryeong
McCune–Reischauer
Chuch'ech'osŏnŭi Yŏngwŏnhan Suryŏng

The official designation of Eternal Leaders of Juche Korea (주체조선의 영원한 수령) was established by a line in the preamble to the Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as amended on 13 April 2012, and in subsequent revisions.

It reads (in the original version):

Under the leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Korean people will uphold the great Comrades Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il as the eternal leaders of Juche Korea... [1]

History of the title

Presidency of North Korea before 1994

The President of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established in the Constitution of North Korea in 1972. Until then, Kim Il-sung, the de facto ruler of North Korea, held the posts of Premier and General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea.

In 1972 the Presidency was established, and Kim Il-sung was elected to the position by the Supreme People's Assembly, the North Korean legislature, on 28 December 1972. Kim held the Office of President until 1994 when he died, and the position was left vacant when he died.

"Eternal President of the Republic"

The revised constitution in 1998 abolished the presidency and established the honorific title of Eternal President of the Republic (공화국의 영원한 주석), which was given to Kim Il-sung.

The preamble of the Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as as amended on 5 September 1998 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...[2]

The Eternal President of the Republic was the de jure head of state and head of government of North Korea, with those positions being de facto held by the Supreme Leader. According to Ashley J. Tellis and Michael Wills, this amendment to the preamble was an indication of the unique North Korean characteristic of being a theocratic state based on a cult of personality revering Kim Il-sung. In addition, North Korea adopted a Juche calendar dating from 1912, the year of Kim Il-sung's birth.[3]

After the death of Kim Jong-il, the amended constitution in 2012 changed the title "eternal President of the Republic" into "eternal leaders of Juche Korea", which was given to Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il.

Head of state role in North Korea after the death of Kim Il-sung

As of 1994 there is no President of North Korea, as the office was left vacant from the death of Kim Il-sung in 1994, and was ipso facto abolished with the 1998 constitutional changes.

Instead, the functions and powers previously belonging to the President were divided between three officials: the head of government, the Premier of North Korea; the speaker of the legislature, the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly; and the head of the military, the Chairman of the National Defence Commission (replaced by State Affairs Commission of North Korea in 2016) and Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army, currently held by Kim Il-sung's grandson, Kim Jong-un.

The latter Kim is also the chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, and is reckoned as "Supreme Leader" with absolute control over the country.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Constitution of North Korea (2012) Wikisource
  2. ↑ Constitution of North Korea (1972) Wikisource
  3. ↑ Ashley J. Tellis; Michael Wills (30 September 2007). Domestic Political Change and Grand Strategy. NBR. p. 128. ISBN 978-0-9713938-8-2. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
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