Premier of North Korea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Premier of the Cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Flag of North Korea
Emblem of North Korea
Incumbent Kim Tok-hun since 13 August 2020
Cabinet of North Korea
Member of	Cabinet
Nominator	Supreme People's Assembly
Appointer	Supreme People's Assembly
Term length	Five years, renewable
Inaugural holder	Kim Il Sung
Formation	9 September 1948
Deputy	Vice Premier

The Premier of North Korea is a very important leader in the country. This person is officially called the Premier of the Cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Think of them as the main manager of the government in North Korea. They lead a group of officials called the Cabinet.

The Premier is chosen by a group called the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA). This assembly also picks other members of the Cabinet. The Premier's job is to organize and lead the Cabinet. They also represent the government of North Korea. The current Premier is Kim Tok Hun. He is also a member of a powerful political group.

History of the Premier's Role

How the Premier's Job Started

When North Korea was first created in 1948, the Premier was the most important job. Kim Il Sung, the country's first leader, held this position for 24 years. He was Premier from 1948 until 1972. During this time, another person had a ceremonial role as the head of state.

Changes in the 1970s

In 1972, a new set of rules, called the Constitution, changed things. A new job was created: the President. This new role became the top job, taking over from the Premier. Kim Il Sung became the President soon after.

The Premier then became the head of something called the Administration Council. But many of the Cabinet's powers moved to a new group. This group was called the Central People's Committee. The President himself led this committee. The first Premier after Kim Il Sung was Kim Il. At this time, the job was known as Premier of the Administration Council.

The Role After Kim Il Sung

After Kim Il Sung passed away, the President's job was left empty. This was because his son, Kim Jong Il, planned to reorganize the government. In 1998, the Constitution was changed again. It got rid of both the Central People's Committee and the Administration Council. The Cabinet was brought back, and with it, the role of Premier.

What Does the Premier Do?

Choosing the Premier and Cabinet

The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) officially chooses the Premier. This assembly also has the power to remove the Premier from their job. The Premier also suggests who should be other members of the Cabinet. This includes vice premiers and various ministers. The SPA then appoints these people. When a new Premier is chosen, they take an oath to be loyal to the country.

Leading the Government's Work

The Premier's main job is to organize and manage the Cabinet. They make sure the government runs smoothly. The Premier also represents the government of North Korea. They attend important meetings of the Cabinet. The Cabinet's main task is to carry out the plans and decisions made by the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. This means the Premier and Cabinet don't usually make their own big policy decisions.

The Premier's Place in Leadership

The Premier is part of a group of three top leaders in North Korea's government. The other two are the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly and the President of the State Affairs Commission. In many countries, a president has all these powers. But in North Korea, these three roles share the powers.

• The SPA Standing Committee chairman handles foreign relations. This means they deal with other countries.
• The Premier manages things inside the country and leads the government.
• The SAC President leads the armed forces. This person is also seen as the country's supreme leader.

The Premier is usually the third most powerful person in this group of three. For example, Kim Jong Il was the SAC President for a long time. There have been many Premiers since Kim Il Sung passed away. Currently, Kim Tok Hun, the Premier, is considered the second most important leader.

List of Premiers

Here is a list of the people who have been Premier of North Korea since 1948.

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Assembly
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
Prime Minister of the Cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 조선민주주의인민공화국 내각 수상
1		Kim Il Sung 김일성 (1912–1994)	9 September 1948	28 December 1972	24 years, 110 days	1st 2nd 3rd 4th
Premier of the Administration Council of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 조선민주주의인민공화국 정무원 총리
2		Kim Il 김일 (1910–1984)	28 December 1972	30 April 1976	3 years, 124 days	5th
3		Pak Song-chol 박성철 (1913–2008)	30 April 1976	15 December 1977	1 year, 229 days
4		Ri Jong-ok 리종옥 (1916–1999)	15 December 1977	25 January 1984	6 years, 41 days	6th 7th
5		Kang Song-san 강성산 (1931–2000)	25 January 1984	29 December 1986	2 years, 338 days	7th
6		Ri Kun-mo 리근모 (1926–2001)	29 December 1986	12 December 1988	1 year, 349 days	8th
7		Yon Hyong-muk 연형묵 (1931–2005)	12 December 1988	11 December 1992	3 years, 365 days	8th 9th
(5)		Kang Song-san 강성산 (1931–2000)	11 December 1992	21 February 1997	4 years, 72 days	9th
–		Hong Song-nam 홍성남 (1929–2009) acting	21 February 1997	5 September 1998	1 year, 196 days	9th
Premier of the Cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 조선민주주의인민공화국 내각 총리
8		Hong Song-nam 홍성남 (1929–2009)	5 September 1998	3 September 2003	4 years, 363 days	10th
9		Pak Pong-ju 박봉주 (born 1939)	3 September 2003	11 April 2007	3 years, 220 days	11th
10		Kim Yong-il 김영일 (born 1944)	11 April 2007	4 June 2010	3 years, 84 days	11th 12th
11		Choe Yong-rim 최영림 (born 1930)	4 June 2010	1 April 2013	2 years, 271 days	12th
(9)		Pak Pong-ju 박봉주 (born 1939)	1 April 2013	11 April 2019	6 years, 10 days	12th 13th
12		Kim Jae-ryong 김재룡 (born 1959)	11 April 2019	13 August 2020	1 year, 124 days	14th
13		Kim Tok Hun 김덕훈 (born 1961)	13 August 2020	Incumbent	4 years, 312 days	14th

Images for kids

• 

  Kim Il Sung, the first Premier of North Korea.

• 

  Kim Il, the second Premier.

• 

  Pak Song-chol, who served as Premier.

• 

  Ri Jong-ok, a former Premier.

• 

  A placeholder image for some Premiers.

See also

In Spanish: Premier de Corea del Norte para niños

• Prime Minister of Imperial Korea (1895–1910)
• Prime Minister of South Korea
• Government of North Korea