Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2010) |
| North Korea |
 This article is part of the series: |
|
|
|
|
Other countries · Atlas Politics portal |
| Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea | |
|---|---|
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 조선민주주의인민공화국 국방위원회 위원장 |
| Hancha | 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國國防委員會委員長 |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chosŏn minjujuŭi inmin'gonghwaguk kukpangwiwŏnhoe wiwŏnjang |
| Revised Romanization | Joseon minjujuui inmin( )gonghwaguk gukbang( )wiwonhoe wiwonjang |
The Chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea is the supreme commander of the armed forces of North Korea and the most powerful person in the government. According to law, the Chairman has the "highest administrative authority" of any official, and the post was confirmed on 5 September 1998 as the "highest office of state." The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) elects the Chairman for a period of five years. The election is held immediately subsequent to the election of a new People's Assembly.
The current Chairman is Kim Jong-il, first elected on 9 April 1993 in an election where he ran unopposed. He has since been re-elected in 1998, 2003 and 2009.
[edit] Authority, legal and constitutional position
There is debate as to whether "highest office of state" should be considered equivalent to head of state. Kim Il-sung, the deceased leader of North Korea, has been declared Eternal President but it appears that the office is a facet of his extensive cult of personality. The Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, who handles the diplomatic functions that a head of state might normally undertake, is also sometimes considered the head of state. North Korea's constitutional arrangements are often unclear to outside observers and it is difficult to determine the Chairman's official standing. However, the Chairman is both in law and in practice the most powerful member of the North Korean government.
[edit] Chairmen of the National Defense Commission (1993-Present)
- Kim Jong-il (9 April 1993-)
