Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea 조선로동당 중앙위원회
8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
Seal used by the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (c.1982)
Overview
Type	Highest decision-making organ when Congress is not in session.
Elected by	Congress
Length of term	Five years
Term limits	None
History
Established	by 1st Congress on 30 August 1946; 78 years ago (1946-08-30)
First convocation	31 August 1946
Leadership
General Secretary	Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Party
Executive organ	Politburo
Administrative organ	Secretariat
Military organ	Central Military Commission
Members
Total	139
Alternates
Total	111
Elections
Last election	8th Congress (2021)
Meeting place
Government Complex No. 1, Pyongyang, North Korea
Constitution
Rules of the Workers' Party of Korea

The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea is a very important group in North Korea. It is the main decision-making body for the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The WPK is the ruling political party in North Korea. This committee makes big decisions when the larger national meetings of the party are not happening.

The rules of the WPK say that the party congress chooses the members of the Central Committee. Also, a party conference can help pick new members. But in reality, the Central Committee can add or remove members on its own during its special meetings.

The first Central Committee was chosen in 1946. It had 43 members. Over time, the number of members has grown a lot. For example, in 2021, the 8th Party Congress chose 250 members. There are also "alternate members" who can attend but don't vote. These non-voting members were first added in 1948.

The Central Committee usually meets at least once a year. These meetings are called "plenary sessions." They are a top place for discussing important policy ideas. The committee works based on the idea of a "Monolithic Ideological System." This means everyone follows one main way of thinking. The role of the Central Committee has changed over the years. In the past, different groups within the party would discuss things there. But now, it mostly follows official rules. The powerful Kim family and the Politburo usually make the big decisions about who gets what job. Still, the Central Committee meetings are where new policies are officially put into action. Decisions are then announced to the public.

History of the Committee

The Central Committee was created in 1946 at the first WPK Congress. Its first group of members had 43 people. Since then, the number of members has increased at every congress.

From 1948 to 1961, the committee met about 2.4 times a year. This was similar to how often the Central Committee in the Soviet Union met. These meetings often lasted only one day. The real power of the Central Committee was not in how often it met, but in its special offices and staff. These offices were controlled by the Politburo, not the Central Committee itself. They acted as the main government under Kim Il Sung. The Central Committee did not hold a full meeting between 1993 and 2010.

There was a very long gap of 37 years between the 6th Congress and the 7th Congress of the WPK. During the time of Kim Jong Il, the Central Committee and its offices became much weaker. Many positions were left empty. But starting in 2005, Kim Jong Il began to make the party stronger again. He appointed important officials to new jobs. For example, Pak Nam Gi became the head of the Planning and Finance Department. Jang Song-thaek became the head of the Administrative Department. Jang also oversaw all security matters.

In September 2010, a special meeting called the 3rd Conference of Representatives updated the members of the Central Committee. However, only the party congress has the power to give the committee a new official term.

How the Committee Works

Choosing Members

The party rules say that the congress decides how many members the Central Committee will have. The Central Committee can also add new members if needed. Local party groups can suggest candidates. But the Central Committee, through its Organization and Guidance Department, makes the final decision.

Plenary Sessions

When the main party congresses or conferences are not happening, the Central Committee is the highest group in the WPK. It is not a group that meets all the time. The WPK rules say it should meet at least once a year. The Politburo is the group that calls the Central Committee for these full meetings.

During a plenary session, the Central Committee discusses and decides on "important issues of the party." It also has the power to choose members for other important groups. These include the Politburo, the Central Military Commission, and the Control Commission. It also chooses the WPK vice-chairmen and the heads of different departments. In the past, it could also choose the party's leader. The committee can also promote alternate (non-voting) members to full (voting) members. It can also appoint new voting and non-voting members during its meetings.

Main Decision-Making Groups

The Politburo

The Politburo is a very important group. It used to be the main decision-making body of the WPK. It has full members (who vote) and candidate members (who don't vote). When it meets, it is the highest decision-making group in the WPK.

The party rules say the Politburo should meet at least once a month. However, there is not much proof that this actually happens. Members of the Politburo can also work in other party or government jobs at the same time.

In the past, before Kim Il Sung removed his opponents, the Politburo was a place where different ideas were discussed. But after Kim Il Sung gained full control, the Politburo became a "rubber stamp" body. This means it mostly just approved what the leader wanted. Important members have sometimes disappeared without explanation. This happened to Kim Tong-gyu in 1977. Under Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, Politburo members did not have their own strong power. Their positions depended on the party leader.

The Presidium

The Presidium was created in 1980. It is the highest decision-making group in the WPK when the Politburo and the Central Committee are not meeting. After O Jin-u passed away in 1995, Kim Jong Il was the only member left. The other four members had died while in office. Between 1995 and 2010, there were no reports that Kim Jong Il planned to change the Presidium. Some experts believe that the Presidium was not really working as a group during that time.

The Secretariat

The Secretariat, in its current form, was set up in 2021. However, its history goes back to 1966. It is similar to a group that existed in the Soviet Union during the time of Stalin. The WPK General Secretary is the head of the Secretariat. Other members are called "Secretary of the WPK Central Committee." This group is in charge of making sure party policies are followed. It also supervises other party groups.

Central Military Commission

The Central Military Commission (CMC) was created in 1962. A change to the WPK rules in 1982 made the CMC equal in power to the Central Committee. This meant it could even choose the WPK leader. However, some people believe that in 2010, the CMC became answerable to the Central Committee again.

According to the WPK rules, the CMC is the highest party group for military matters. It leads the Korean People's Army (KPA). It is responsible for developing and buying weapons and equipment for the army. The WPK General Secretary is automatically the Chairman of the CMC.

Control Commission

The Control Commission used to be called the Inspection Commission. It was chosen after a party congress. This group is in charge of managing party membership. It also handles problems when party members break rules. It investigates things like corruption or actions against the party. Lower-level party groups or individual members can ask the commission for help. This commission was removed on January 10, 2021. Its jobs were moved to a new group called the Central Auditing Commission.

Administrative Responsibilities

Departments

Even though the Central Committee's offices changed a lot under Kim Jong Il, some departments stayed mostly the same. These were the ones that handled internal party matters, like the Organization and Guidance Department, the Propaganda and Agitation Department, and the Cadre Affairs Department.

Other departments, like those dealing with the economy or South Korean affairs, changed more often. For example, the Administrative Department was brought back in 2006 after being part of another department. The United Front Department also had its ups and downs.

In 2002–2003, the Economic Planning and Agricultural Policy departments were removed. This was done to give the government more control over the economy. More changes happened in 2009. New departments were created, like the Film and Light Industry Industrial Policy departments. Some offices were combined or moved to different parts of the government.

In 2010, North Korea changed the name of the Munitions Industry Department to "Machine Building Industry Department." This was an effort to avoid international rules against its defense industry. It changed back to its old name in 2017.

By 2010, foreign observers knew that some department heads had retired. In August 2020, a new legal affairs department was created. The 8th Congress in January 2021 also showed that an economic policy office existed. During the 8th Congress, a Discipline Inspection Department was also created.

Rodong Sinmun

The Rodong Sinmun is a newspaper that belongs to the WPK Central Committee. It is the official voice of the party. Its job is to help change society and people to follow the party's ideas. It also aims to keep everyone in the party and the country united around Kim Jong Il. The editor-in-chief of the newspaper is chosen by the Central Committee during a full meeting.

See also

In Spanish: Comité Central del Partido de los Trabajadores de Corea para niños

• Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
• Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party