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{{About|the politics of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea|other uses|Politics of Korea (disambiguation){{!}}Politics of Korea|the article about the politics of the Republic of Korea|Politics of South Korea}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}{{Infobox communist political system|name=Politics of the<br>Democratic People's Republic of Korea|native_name={{nowrap|{{native name|ko|조선민주주의인민공화국의 정치}}}}|image=Emblem of North Korea.svg|image_size=100px|background_color={{party color|Workers' Party of Korea}}|caption=[[Emblem of North Korea|National emblem of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea]]|type=[[Unitary state|Unitary]] [[One-party state|one-party]] [[Socialist state|socialist republic]]
|constitution=[[Constitution of North Korea|Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea]]|formation=|communist_party=[[Workers' Party of Korea]]|general_secretary=[[Kim Jong Un]]|supreme_organ=[[National meetings of the Workers' Party of Korea|Congress]]|highest_organ_party=[[Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea|Central Committee]]|political_organ=[[Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea|Politburo]]|executive_organ=[[Secretariat of the Workers' Party of Korea|Secretariat]]|military_organ=[[Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea|Central&nbsp;Military&nbsp;Commission]]|highest_organ=[[Supreme People's Assembly]]|highest_organ_type=[[Unicameralism|Unicameral]]|highest_organ_place=[[Mansudae Assembly Hall]], [[Pyongyang]]|presiding_body=|standing_body=[[Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly|Standing Committee]]|standing_body_chair=[[Choe Ryong-hae]]|standing_body_secretary=|executive_name=[[Cabinet of North Korea|Cabinet]]|title_hog=[[Premier of North Korea|Premier]]|current_hog=[[Pak Thae-song]]|appointer_hog=[[Supreme People's Assembly]]|current_term=|cabinet_hq=|cabinet_ministries=|military=[[Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea|Central Military Commission]]|leader_military=[[Kim Jong Un]]|vice_chairmen_military=|supervisory=|director_supervisory=|vice_director_supervisory=|judiciary=[[Central Court (North Korea)|Central Court]]|chief_judge=[[Choe Kun-yong]] (President)|court_seat=[[Pyongyang]]|procuratorate_name=|procuratorate_seat=|chief_procuratorate=|auditing_organ=[[Central Auditing Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea|Central Auditing Commission]]}}{{Politics of North Korea}}
The '''politics of North Korea''' (officially the [[Democratic People's Republic of Korea]] or DPRK) takes place within the framework of the official state philosophy, [[Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism]]. ''[[Juche]]'', which is a part of Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism, is the belief that only through [[Self-sustainability|self-reliance]] and a strong independent state, can true socialism be achieved.<ref name="Rogue">{{cite book |title=Rogue Regime: Kim Jong Il and the Looming Threat of North Korea |last=Becker |first=Jasper |author-link=Jasper Becker |year=2005 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=[[New York City]] |isbn=978-0-19-517044-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/rogueregimekimjo00beck }}</ref><ref name=HwangJuche>{{cite book|first=B. R.|last= Myers|title=The Cleanest Race: How North Koreans See Themselves and Why It Matters|pages=45–46 Paperback edition|year=2011}}</ref>

North Korea's political system is built upon the principle of [[centralization]]. The constitution defines North Korea as "a [[Democratic dictatorship|dictatorship of people's democracy]]"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Naenara Democratic People's Republic of Korea |url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/index.php/Main/index/en/politics?arg_val=constitution |access-date=2022-08-09 |website=www.naenara.com.kp}}</ref> under the leadership of the [[Workers' Party of Korea]] (WPK), which is given [[one-party state|legal supremacy]] over other political parties. [[General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea|WPK General Secretary]] is typically the [[Supreme Leader (North Korean title)|supreme leader]], who controls the [[Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea|WPK Presidium]], the [[Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea|WPK Politburo]], the [[Secretariat of the Workers' Party of Korea|WPK Secretariat]] and the [[Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea|WPK Central Military Commission]], making the officeholder the most powerful person in North Korea.

The WPK is the ruling party of North Korea. It has been in power since its creation in 1948. Other minor political parties also exist, but are legally bound to accept the ruling role of the WPK.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tertitskiy |first=Fyodor |date=2014-11-26 |title=Being a minor party in the North |url=https://www.nknews.org/2014/11/being-a-minor-party-in-the-north/ |access-date=2022-08-09 |website=[[NK News]]|language=en-US}}</ref> Elections occur only in single-candidate races where the candidate is effectively selected beforehand by the WPK.<ref name=fh>{{cite web|url=http://freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2006&country=6993 |title=Freedom in the World, 2006 |publisher=Freedom House |access-date=13 February 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714213705/http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2006&country=6993 |archive-date=14 July 2007 }}</ref> In addition to the parties, there are over 100 [[mass organizations]] controlled by the WPK.<ref name="ScalapinoKim1983">{{cite book|last1=Scalapino|first1=Robert A.|author2=Chun-yŏp Kim|title=North Korea Today: Strategic and Domestic Issues|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TsVxAAAAMAAJ|year=1983|publisher=Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley, Center for Korean Studies|isbn=978-0-912966-55-7|page=84}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Kagan|first1=Richard|last2=Oh|first2=Matthew|last3=Weissbrodt|first3=David S.|title=Human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wDa4AAAAIAAJ|year=1988|publisher=Minnesota Lawyers International Human Rights Committee|isbn=978-0-929692-23-4|page=166}}</ref> Those who are not WPK members are required to join one of these organizations.<ref>{{cite book|title=Understanding North Korea 2014 |url=http://eng.unikorea.go.kr/download.do?filename=47130_201612131627292010.pdf#page=367 |year=2015 |publisher=Institute for Unification Education |location=Seoul |oclc=829395170 |page=367 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101001315/http://eng.unikorea.go.kr/download.do?filename=47130_201612131627292010.pdf |archive-date=1 January 2017 }}</ref> Of these, the most important ones are the [[Socialist Patriotic Youth League]], [[Socialist Women's Union of Korea]], [[General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea]], and [[Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea]].<ref name="ScalapinoKim1983" />

Outside observers generally view North Korea as a [[Totalitarianism|totalitarian]] [[dictatorship]]<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |date=9 April 2018 |title=North Korea country profile |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15256929}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{cite news |title=Kim Jong Un's North Korea: Life inside the totalitarian state |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/world/north-korea-defectors/}}</ref><ref name="britannica">{{cite web |date=2018 |title=Totalitarianism |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/totalitarianism |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Britannica Book of the Year 2014 |publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-62513-171-3 |location=London |page=642 |chapter=Korea, North |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LccRAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA642}}</ref> particularly noting the elaborate [[North Korean cult of personality|cult of personality around Kim Il Sung]] and [[Kim dynasty (North Korea)|his family]]. The WPK, led by a member of the ruling family,<ref name="scmp-yoo-sep-18-2013">{{cite news|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1296394/democratic-peoples-monarchy-korea-north-korea-changes-ruling-principles |title=North Korea rewrites rules to legitimise Kim family succession |date=16 October 2013 |newspaper=South China Morning Post |author=Audrey Yoo |access-date=16 October 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131028160038/http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1296394/democratic-peoples-monarchy-korea-north-korea-changes-ruling-principles |archive-date=28 October 2013 }}</ref> holds power in the state.<ref name="parlunion5">{{cite web|title=The Parliamentary System of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea | publisher= Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP) of the [[Inter-Parliamentary Union]] | work=Constitutional and Parliamentary Information | url=http://www.asgp.info/Resources/Data/Documents/CJOZSZTEPVVOCWJVUPPZVWPAPUOFGF.pdf | access-date=1 October 2010 |page=5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303054935/http://www.asgp.info/Resources/Data/Documents/CJOZSZTEPVVOCWJVUPPZVWPAPUOFGF.pdf|archive-date=3 March 2012}}</ref> The government has formally replaced all references to [[Marxism–Leninism]] in its constitution with the locally developed concept of ''[[Juche]]'', or self-reliance. Kim Jong Il placed emphasis on the ''[[Songun]]'' or "military-first" philosophy, and all references to [[communism]] were removed from the North Korean constitution in 2009.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSSEO253213 |work=Reuters |title=North Korea drops communism, boosts "Dear Leader" |first=Jon |last=Herskovitz |date=28 September 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001170715/http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSSEO253213 |archive-date=1 October 2009}}</ref> Under Kim Jong Un, terminology such as communism and the [[socialist economy]] is again in common use.<ref name="38north-20210922" /> He additionally made Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism the main ideology of the country.

== History ==
[[Kim Il Sung]] ruled the country from 1948 until [[Death of Kim Il-sung|his death]] in July 1994, holding the offices of [[General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea|General Secretary of the WPK]] from 1949 to 1994 (titled as chairman from 1949 to 1972), [[Premier of North Korea]] from 1948 to 1972 and [[President of North Korea|President]] from 1972 to 1994. He was succeeded by his son, [[Kim Jong Il]].  While the younger Kim had been his father's designated successor since the 1980s, it took him three years to consolidate his power. He was named to his father's old post of general secretary in 1997, and in 1998 became chairman of the [[National Defense Commission (North Korea)|National Defence Commission]] (NDC), which gave him command of the armed forces. The constitution was amended to make the NDC chairmanship "the highest post in the state."<ref>{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YB1wAgAAQBAJ&dq=The+constitution+was+amended+to+make+the+NDC+chairmanship+%22the+highest+post+in+the+state.%22&pg=PT631 |title=Whitaker's Shorts 2014: International |date=2013-11-07 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-4729-0613-7 |language=en}}</ref> At the same time, the presidential post was written out of the constitution, and Kim Il Sung was designated "[[Eternal leaders of North Korea|Eternal leader of Juche Korea]]" in order to honor his memory forever. Most analysts believe the title to be a product of [[Kim Il-sung's cult of personality|the cult of personality]] he cultivated during his life.

== Political parties and elections ==

According to the [[Constitution of North Korea]], the country is a democratic republic and the [[Supreme People's Assembly]] (SPA) and [[Provincial People's Assemblies]] (PPA,도 인민회의) are elected by direct [[universal suffrage]] and [[secret ballot]]. Suffrage is guaranteed to all citizens aged 17 and over.<ref name=wikisource>[[s:Constitution of North Korea]]</ref> In reality, [[Elections in North Korea|DPRK elections]] are [[Show election|for show]] and feature single-candidate races only.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/03/north-korea-elections-guide/358875/|title=Yes, There Are Elections in North Korea and Here's How They Work|first=Danielle|last=Wiener-Bronner|website=[[The Atlantic]]|date=6 March 2014|access-date=31 January 2018}}</ref> Those who want to vote against the sole candidate on the ballot must go to a special booth—in the presence of an electoral official—to cross out the candidate's name before dropping it into the ballot box—an act which, according to many [[North Korean defectors]], is far too risky to even contemplate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hancocks |first=Paula |date=2012-04-11 |title=North Korean defector stands for South Korean election |url=https://www.cnn.com/2012/04/10/world/asia/north-korea-defector |access-date=2025-09-13 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

All elected candidates are members of the [[Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea]] (DFRK), a [[popular front]] dominated by the ruling [[Workers' Party of Korea]] (WPK).{{Update inline|date=March 2024|reason=DFRK no longer exists.}} The two minor parties are the [[Chondoist Chongu Party]] and the [[Korean Social Democratic Party]], who also have a few elected officials. The WPK exercises direct control over the candidates selected for election by members of the other two parties.<ref name=fh/> In the past, elections were contested by other minor parties as well, including the [[Korea Buddhist Federation]], [[Democratic Independent Party]], [[Dongro People's Party]], [[Gonmin People's Alliance]], and [[People's Republic Party]].<ref name="NohlenGrotz2001">{{cite book|author1=Dieter Nohlen|author2=Florian Grotz|author3=Christof Hartmann|title=Elections in Asia and the Pacific: South East Asia, East Asia, and the South Pacific|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fl-4AAAAIAAJ|year=2001|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-924959-6|page=404}}</ref>

==Political ideology==
[[File:Dprk pyongyang chuche monument 05.jpg|thumb|The [[Juche Tower|''Juche'' Tower]] symbolizes the official state philosophy of ''[[Juche]]''.|left]]
Originally a close ally of [[Joseph Stalin]]'s [[Soviet Union]], North Korea has increasingly emphasized ''[[Juche]]'', an adoption of [[socialist]] [[Autarky|self-reliance]], which roots from [[Marxism–Leninism]], its adoption of a certain ideological form of Marxism–Leninism is specific to the conditions of North Korea.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lankov|first1=Andrei N.|title=Kim Takes Control: The 'Great Purge' in North Korea, 1956-1960|journal=Korean Studies|volume=26|issue=1|year=2002|pages=91–92|issn=1529-1529|doi=10.1353/ks.2002.0010|s2cid=153356279}}</ref> ''Juche'' was enshrined as the official ideology when the country adopted a new constitution in 1972.<ref>[[s:Constitution of North Korea (1972)]]</ref><ref name="Juche">{{Cite book| last=Martin| first=Bradley K.| title=Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty| publisher=Thomas Dunne Books| year=2004| location=New York City, New York| page=111| quote=Although it was in that 1955 speech that Kim gave full voice to his arguments for ''juche'', he had been talking along similar lines as early as 1948.| isbn=978-0-312-32322-6}}</ref> In 2009, the constitution was amended again, quietly removing the brief references to [[communism]] ({{Korean|hangul=공산주의|context=north}}).<ref>[http://leonidpetrov.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/dprk-has-quietly-amended-its-constitution/ DPRK has quietly amended its Constitution] ({{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130421015549/http://leonidpetrov.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/dprk-has-quietly-amended-its-constitution/ |date=21 April 2013 }})</ref> However, North Korea continues to see itself as part of a worldwide leftist movement. The Workers' Party maintains a relationship with other leftist parties, sending a delegation to the [[International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties]].<ref name="IMCWP11">{{cite web|url=http://actofdefiance.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/13th-international-meeting-of-communist-and-workers-parties-in-athens/ |publisher=Act of Defiance |date=29 November 2011 |title=13th International meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties in Athens |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314143905/http://actofdefiance.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/13th-international-meeting-of-communist-and-workers-parties-in-athens/ |archive-date=14 March 2014 }}</ref> North Korea has a strong [[Cuba–North Korea relations|relationship with Cuba]];<ref name="thediplomat.com">{{cite magazine|title=The North Korea-Cuba Connection |url=https://thediplomat.com/2016/06/the-north-korea-cuba-connection/ |first=Samuel |last=Ramani |magazine=The Diplomat |date=7 June 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608150617/https://thediplomat.com/2016/06/the-north-korea-cuba-connection/ |archive-date=8 June 2016 }}</ref> in 2016, the [[North Korean government]] declared three days of mourning after [[Fidel Castro's death]].<ref>{{cite news|title=N.K. declares 3-day mourning over ex-Cuban leader Castro's death |url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2016/11/28/0200000000AEN20161128002852315.html |publisher=[[Yonhap News Agency]] |date=28 November 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128200044/http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2016/11/28/0200000000AEN20161128002852315.html |archive-date=28 November 2016 }}</ref>

==Political developments==
[[File:Mangyongdae Children's Palace 09.JPG|thumb|right|Portraits of the [[Eternal President of the Republic|Eternal President]], [[Kim Il Sung]] (left), and the [[Eternal General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea|Eternal General Secretary of the Workers' Party]], [[Kim Jong Il]] (right).]]
For much of its history, North Korean politics have been dominated by its adversarial [[North Korea–South Korea relations|relationship with South Korea]]. During the [[Cold War]], North Korea aligned with the Soviet Union and the [[People's Republic of China]]. The North Korean government invested heavily in [[Military of North Korea|its military]], hoping to develop the capability to [[Korean reunification|reunify Korea]] by force if possible and also preparing to repel any attack by [[South Korea]] or the [[United States]]. Following the doctrine of ''Juche'', North Korea aimed for a high degree of economic independence and the mobilization of all the resources of the nation to defend Korean sovereignty against foreign powers.

In the wake of the [[collapse of the Soviet Union]] in the early 1990s and the loss of Soviet aid, North Korea faced a long period of economic crisis, including severe agricultural and industrial shortages. North Korea's main political issue has been to find a way to sustain its economy without compromising the internal stability of its government or its ability to respond to perceived external threats. Recently, North Korean efforts to improve relations with South Korea to increase trade and to receive development assistance have been mildly successful. North Korea has tried to improve its relations with South Korea by [[North Korea at the 2018 Winter Olympics|participating in the Pyeongchang Olympics]], when [[Kim Jong Un]] sent his band and a few officials to visit South Korea. But North Korea's determination to develop [[nuclear weapon]]s and [[ballistic missile]]s has prevented stable relations with both South Korea and the United States. North Korea has also experimented with [[market economy|market economics]] in some sectors of its economy, but these have had limited impact.{{fact|date=January 2025}}

Although there are occasional reports of signs of opposition to the government, these appear to be isolated, and there is no evidence of major internal threats to the current government. Some foreign analysts{{Who|date=October 2015}} have pointed to widespread starvation, increased emigration through [[North Korea-China border]], and new sources of information about the outside world for ordinary North Koreans as factors pointing to an imminent collapse of the regime.{{Citation needed|date=October 2015}} However, North Korea has remained stable in spite of more than a decade of such predictions. The Workers' Party of Korea maintains a monopoly on political power and Kim Jong Il remained the leader of the country until 2011, ever since he first gained power following the death of his father.

After the death of Kim Il Sung in 1994, his son, Kim Jong Il became the new leader, which marked the closure of one chapter of North Korean politics. Combined with external shocks and the less charismatic personality of Kim Jong Il, the transition of the leadership moved North Korea toward less centralized control. There are three key institutions: the Korean People's Army (KPA), the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), and the cabinet. Rather than dominate a unified system as his father had, each party has their own enduring goals, therefore providing checks and balances to the government. No one party could claim victory and power over the other ones. With changing internal situation, combined with external pressure, the cabinet started to endorse policies it had rejected for years.<ref>Kang, David C."They Think They’re Normal: Enduring Questions and New Research on North Korea—A Review Essay." International Security, vol. 36 no. 3, 2011, pp. 142–171. Project MUSE,</ref> North Korea politics is gradually becoming more open and negotiable with foreign countries.{{fact|date=January 2025}}

Under Kim Jong Il the status of [[Military of North Korea|the military]] was enhanced, and appeared to occupy the center of the North Korean political system; all the social sectors were forced to follow the military spirit and adopt military methods. Kim Jong Il's public activity focused heavily on "[[on-the-spot guidance]]" of places and events related to the military. The enhanced status of the military and military-centered political system was confirmed in 1998 at the first session of the [[10th Supreme People's Assembly]] (SPA) by the promotion of NDC members into the official power hierarchy. All ten NDC members were ranked within the top twenty on 5 September, and all but one occupied the top twenty at the fiftieth anniversary of the [[Day of the Foundation of the Republic (North Korea)|Day of the Foundation of the Republic]] on 9 September.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} Under Kim Jong Un there has been an increased emphasis on economic matters, with major defence spending needing support from an economic standpoint.<ref name=38north-20210922>{{cite news |url=https://www.38north.org/2021/09/understanding-kim-jong-uns-economic-policymaking-defense-versus-civilian-spending/ |title=Understanding Kim Jong Un's Economic Policymaking: Defense Versus Civilian Spending |last1=Carlin |first1=Robert |last2=Minyoung |first2=Rachel Lee |publisher=The Henry L. Stimson Center |work=[[38 North]] |date=22 September 2021 |access-date=6 October 2021}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

While the commonly accepted view is that no dissent can be expressed in North Korea, the notionally academic economic journal [[Kyo'ngje Yo'ngu]] and the philosophical and economic journals of [[Kim Il Sung University]] permit the presentation and discussion of the different views of various parts of the government.<ref name=38north-20210922/>

===Protests===
In 2005, a [[riot]] began at [[Kim Il Sung Stadium]] during a [[FIFA World Cup qualification|World Cup qualification match]], after a dispute between a North Korean [[Football player|player]] and a Syrian [[Referee (association football)|referee]] and the subsequent [[Disqualification (sports)|disqualification]] of the player.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=2005-04-02|title=Soccer Riot in Tightly Controlled North Korea Surprises Observers|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-apr-02-fg-soccer2-story.html|access-date=2020-09-14|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|language=en-US}}{{subscription required}}</ref>

Between 2006 and 2007, "market riots" erupted in the countryside when the government "unsuccessfully tried to restart" the Public Distribution System.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Lankov|first=Andrei|title=[[The Real North Korea Life and Politics in the Failed Stalinist Utopia]]|date=December 2014|isbn=978-0199390038|page=108|publisher=Oxford University Press }}</ref> [[Andrei Lankov]] goes on to say that the "outbreak of public discontent usually happens at the markets when vendors believe that their right to make money is being unfairly infringed by some decision of the authorities".<ref name=":1"/>

In June 2011, it was reported that the government had ordered universities to cancel most classes until April 2012, sending students to work on construction projects, presumably for fear of [[Arab Spring|similar developments as in North Africa]]. In the previous months, the regime had ordered riot gear from China.<ref>{{cite news|title=North Korea shuts down universities for 10 months |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/8602525/North-Korea-shuts-down-universities-for-10-months.html |access-date=16 October 2018 |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=28 June 2011}}</ref> However, "as soon as universities were reopened, graffiti appeared again. Perhaps the succession is not the real reason, but greater awareness among North Koreans could lead to changes."<ref>{{cite news|title=The symbols of the Kims' power under attack, North Koreans are waking up |url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/The-symbols-of-the-Kims’-power-under-attack,-North-Koreans-are-waking-up-23970.html |access-date=16 October 2018|author1=Joseph Yun Li-sun |publisher=AsiaNews |date=14 Feb 2012}}</ref>

== Transition of power to Kim Jong Un ==

=== Political power ===
After the [[Death and state funeral of Kim Jong Il|death of Kim Jong Il]] on 17 December 2011, his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, inherited the political leadership of the DPRK. The succession of power was immediate: Kim Jong Un became [[Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army]] on 30 December 2011, was appointed first secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) on 11 April 2012, and was entitled first chairman of the National Defense Commission (NDC) two days later. To gain complete political power, he became the military rank of [[Wonsu|Marshal of the KPA]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Woo|first=Jongseok|date=June 2014|title=Kim Jong-il's military-first politics and beyond: Military control mechanisms and the problem of power succession|journal=Communist and Post-Communist Studies|volume=47|issue=2|pages=117–125|doi=10.1016/j.postcomstud.2014.04.002|issn=0967-067X}}</ref>

=== Differences from the Kim Jong Il regime ===
Up until his death, [[Kim Jong Il]] maintained a strong national [[Songun|military-first political system]] that equated stability with military power. Kim Jong Un continues to carry on the militarized political style of his father, but with less commitment to complete military rule. Since he took power, Kim Jong Un has attempted to move political power away from the KPA and has divided it among the WPK and the [[Cabinet of North Korea|cabinet]]. Because of his political lobbying, the WPK's [[Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea|Central Committee]] has vastly shifted power in April 2012: out of 17 members and 15 alternates of the Committee, only five members and six alternates derive from military and security sectors. Ever since, the economic power of the WPK, the cabinet, and the KPA has been in a tense balance. The KPA has lost a significant amount of economic influence because of the current regime, which continually shifts from what Kim Jong Il built his regime on, and may cause later internal issues.<ref name=":0" />

== Foreign relations ==
{{Main|Foreign relations of North Korea}}
[[File:Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un (2024-06-19) 01.jpg|thumb|North Korean leader [[Kim Jong Un]] and Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] in Pyongyang, North Korea, 19 June 2024]]
The foreign relations of North Korea have been shaped by its conflict with [[South Korea]] (officially the Republic of Korea) and its historical ties with [[world communism]]. The governments of both North and South Korea claim to be the sole legitimate government of the whole of [[Korea]]. The [[Korean War]] in the 1950s failed to resolve the issue, leaving North Korea locked in a military confrontation with South Korea and the [[United States Forces Korea]] across [[Korean Demilitarized Zone|the Demilitarized Zone]].

At the start of the [[Cold War]], North Korea only had diplomatic recognition by communist countries. Over the following decades, it established relations with developing countries and joined the [[Non-Aligned Movement]]. When the [[Eastern Bloc]] collapsed in the years 1989–1992, North Korea made efforts to improve its diplomatic relations with developed capitalist countries. At the same time, there were international efforts to resolve the confrontation on the Korean peninsula (known as the [[Korean conflict]]). At the same time, North Korea [[North Korea and nuclear weapons|acquired nuclear weapons]], adding to the concerns of the [[international community]].<ref name=":6">{{cite web |url = http://38north.org/2017/03/wmckinney031517/ |title=Understanding North Korea's Nuclear Coercion Strategy |access-date = 2017-04-28 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170506115104/http://38north.org/2017/03/wmckinney031517/ |archive-date=2017-05-06 }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Censorship in North Korea]]
* [[Communism in Korea]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Buzo|first=Adrian|title=The Guerilla Dynasty: Politics And Leadership In North Korea|year=2018|publisher=Routledge|location=New York|isbn=978-0-429-97609-4}}
* {{cite book|author1=Heonik Kwon|author2=Byung-Ho Chung|title=North Korea: Beyond Charismatic Politics|year=2012|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|location=Lanham|isbn=978-1-4422-1577-1}}
* [http://www.uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?ptype=english Uriminzokkiri.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111120500/http://www.uriminzokkiri.com/index.php?ptype=english |date=11 January 2015 }}
* [http://freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2006&country=6993 Freedom House Country Report on North Korea] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070714213705/http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2006&country=6993 |date=14 July 2007 }}
* {{Cite web |url=http://wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/nkhra.htm |title=The North Korean Human Rights Act: Documents and Background Materials |access-date=22 April 2019 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20060601193654/http%3A//wwwc.house.gov/international_relations/nkhra.htm |archive-date=1 June 2006 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}
* [http://www.wilsoncenter.org/nkidp The North Korean International Documentation Project] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516222205/http://www.wilsoncenter.org/nkidp |date=16 May 2008 }}
* [http://www.nkeconwatch.com/north-korea-uncovered-google-earth North Korea Uncovered], a comprehensive mapping on [[Google Earth]] of the DPRK's political and economic infrastructure

{{Korea topics}}
{{Asia topic|Politics of}}
{{Portal bar|North Korea|Politics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Politics of North Korea| ]]

[[bn:উত্তর কোরিয়া#রাজনীতি]]