Workers' Party of Korea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Workers' Party of Korea 조선로동당
Abbreviation	WPK
General Secretary	Kim Jong Un
Presidium	Kim Jong Un Kim Tok-hun Choe Ryong-hae Ri Pyong-chol Jo Yong-won
Founded	24 June 1949; 75 years ago (1949-06-24)
Merger of	Workers' Party of North Korea Workers' Party of South Korea
Headquarters	Government Complex No. 1, Chung-guyok, Pyongyang
Newspaper	Rodong Sinmun
Youth wing	Socialist Patriotic Youth League
Children's wing	Korean Children's Union
Armed wing	Korean People's Army
Paramilitary wing	Worker-Peasant Red Guards
South Korean front	Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front
Membership (2021 est.)	~6,500,000
Ideology	Communism Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism Juche Songun
Political position	Far-left
National affiliation	Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea (1949–2024)
International affiliation	IMCWP
Colors	Red
Anthem	"Long Live the Workers' Party of Korea"
Status	Ruling party in North Korea; outlawed in South Korea under the National Security Act
Supreme People's Assembly	607 / 687
Party flag
Elections

The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) is the main political party in North Korea. It is the only party that governs the country. It was created in 1949 when two other parties joined together. The WPK also controls the Korean People's Army, which is North Korea's military.

The WPK is the largest party in the Supreme People's Assembly, which is like North Korea's parliament. Other smaller parties exist, but they must follow the WPK's lead. The WPK is not allowed in South Korea because of their laws.

The WPK officially follows an idea called Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism. This idea combines the thoughts of North Korea's past leaders, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. A key part of this idea is Juche, which means national independence and self-reliance. It teaches that North Korea should develop using its own efforts. Another idea is Songun, which means "military-first" politics. This idea puts the military at the center of power. However, the current leader, Kim Jong Un, has recently focused more on "people-first politics."

The WPK is organized using a system called the Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System. This system makes sure everyone follows the same ideas. The highest group in the WPK is supposed to be the party congress. However, these meetings don't happen very often. For example, there were no congresses between 1980 and 2016. Kim Jong Un is the current leader of the party. He is called the General Secretary of the WPK.

History of the WPK

How the Party Started (1945–1953)

The Workers' Party of Korea has a long history. It began on October 13, 1945, with a group called the North Korean Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea. At first, this group was part of a larger party based in Seoul.

In 1946, Kim Il Sung became the leader of the North Korean group. This group then joined with another party to form the Workers' Party of North Korea (WPNK). Kim Tu-bong was chosen as the first chairman, but Kim Il Sung was still the main leader.

Kim Il Sung (left) with Pak Hon-yong in Pyongyang, 1948

The WPNK gained more control across North Korea. In 1948, they helped create the official government of independent North Korea. On June 24, 1949, the WPNK merged with the Workers' Party of South Korea. This merger created the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) as we know it today.

In 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, starting the Korean War. The war made the WPK stronger and less influenced by other countries. During this time, different groups formed within the WPK. However, Kim Il Sung worked to strengthen his own position as leader.

Kim Il Sung's Power (1953–1980)

A mosaic showing Kim Il Sung's first public speech in Pyongyang in September 1945, after Korea was freed from Japanese rule.

After the Korean War, Kim Il Sung worked to become the sole leader of the WPK. He did not agree with some changes happening in other communist countries, like moving away from Stalinism. He believed these changes would weaken his power.

By 1962, Kim Il Sung had made the WPK more independent from other big communist parties. This helped him become even stronger within the party. In 1966, he launched the Juche program, which focused on North Korea being self-reliant. This further strengthened his leadership.

In the 1960s, Kim Il Sung's image became very important. He was called "Great Leader" and "Sun of the Nation." His birthday became a major holiday. Official messages said that being loyal to him was key for all Koreans.

Kim Il Sung removed other groups from the WPK during the 1950s and 1960s. This made him the most powerful ruler of North Korea. He also started appointing family members to important jobs. This was to make sure his family, especially his son, would continue to rule.

It was first thought that Kim Il Sung's brother, Kim Yong-ju, would take over. But later, Kim Il Sung decided his son, Kim Jong Il, would be the next leader. This was officially confirmed in 1980.

Kim Jong Il's Rule (1980–2011)

Kim Jong Il led the WPK, and the party became more active towards the end of his time as leader.

When Kim Jong Il was officially named the next leader in 1980, power became even more focused on the Kim family. He started taking part in important tours and was given special titles. However, the party faced challenges, partly because many of its top leaders were very old.

The Monument to Party Founding in Pyongyang, built in 1995.

After a key leader named O Jin-u died in 1995, Kim Jong Il became the only living member of the Presidium, which is a very high group in the WPK. During the 1990s, Kim Jong Il started to favor the military over the WPK and the government. This happened during a time of economic problems and a severe famine in North Korea.

In 1997, Kim Jong Il was named General Secretary of the WPK. Many people outside North Korea wondered why he didn't call a new party congress to elect new leaders. He ruled as an absolute leader, and the WPK didn't have a major organizational meeting until 2010.

In 2010, the WPK held its 3rd Conference. This meeting changed some party rules and elected new members to important groups. Kim Jong Un was confirmed as the next leader. Kim Jong Il died the following year, in December 2011.

Kim Jong Un's Rule (2011–Present)

Kim Jong Un became the leader of the party after his father's death in 2011.

After his father's death, Kim Jong Un quickly became the new leader. He was named the supreme leader of the party and the country. In 2012, he was promoted to "Marshal of the Republic."

At the 4th Party Conference in 2012, Kim Jong Il was named "Eternal General Secretary." Kim Jong Un was elected to a new position called "First Secretary." The party rules were also changed to state that Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism was the party's only guiding idea.

Under Kim Jong Un, the WPK has become more active. There have been more party conferences and congresses. In 2016, the WPK held its 7th Congress, the first in 36 years. Kim Jong Un was given the new title of chairman. In 2021, at the 8th WPK Congress, he became general secretary. This congress also showed that the WPK was gaining more control over the military. Kim Jong Un has also started bringing back communist ideas and words into the party's rules.

WPK Ideas

The WPK sees itself as part of a worldwide movement of leftist and socialist groups. It often sends representatives to international meetings of communist parties. The WPK's rules state that its main goal is to create a "communist society." They also say they follow the ideas of Marxism–Leninism. However, some experts say the WPK's ideas are more about nationalism and North Korean identity.

What is Juche?

Juche is a key idea of the WPK. It focuses on the idea that people are the masters of everything and decide everything. It teaches that people, especially the working class, are the main force that drives history forward.

For Juche to work, North Korea believes there needs to be a "Great Leader." This leader is seen as the mastermind of the working class. He is believed to be perfect and always acts for the good of the people. This idea helped Kim Il Sung become an absolute ruler.

The Kim Family's Role

The Kim family has led North Korea since its beginning with Kim Il Sung. The official idea is that North Korea works well because Kim Il Sung created it, and his family members continue his legacy. Children in North Korea learn about the "revolutionary history" of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

Kim Il Sung chose his son, Kim Jong Il, to follow him. Kim Jong Il then chose his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, to be the next leader. Because the leadership passes down through the family, some people call the Kim family a "dynasty" or a "hereditary dictatorship."

Monolithic Ideological System

The Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System are a set of rules and guidelines for how North Korea is governed. They also guide how people should behave. These principles are considered even more important than the country's constitution. They act as the highest law in North Korea.

Songbun (Social Class System)

Songbun is a social class system that was set up in North Korea in 1957. It divided people into three main groups: hostile, neutral, or friendly, based on their loyalty to the party and its leader. A person's Songbun was passed down through their family.

People in the "hostile" group could not live near the capital city, Pyongyang, or other big cities. Songbun also affected what kind of education and jobs people could get. It especially influenced whether someone could join the WPK. However, the importance of Songbun has lessened over time, especially after economic problems in the 1990s.

How the WPK is Organized

Central Organization

The highest group in the WPK is the Congress. It meets from time to time. The Congress is responsible for electing the Central Committee and the General Secretary. It also discusses party policies and changes the party rules.

When the Congress is not meeting, the Central Committee makes the main decisions. The Central Committee also chooses members for other important groups, like the Central Military Commission (CMC) and the Politburo.

The Politburo handles the Central Committee's duties when it's not meeting. The Presidium is the highest decision-making group when other bodies are not in session. The CMC makes the most important decisions about military matters and controls the Korean People's Army. The WPK General Secretary is always the Chairman of the CMC.

The Secretariat is in charge of carrying out the party's plans. It is led by the General Secretary and includes several secretaries who often lead different departments. The Central Auditing Commission deals with problems involving party members, like rule violations.

The WPK has more than 15 departments that help it do its work. Through these departments, it controls various organizations and newspapers, like Rodong Sinmun. The General Political Bureau (GPB) is the leading group within the military. It controls the party's activities inside the army.

Local Organization

The WPK has local groups at different levels of government in North Korea. These include groups for provinces, cities, and rural areas. Each province has a party committee, and the WPK decides who is on these committees.

People can join the WPK if they are 18 or older. They need to apply and have two current party members support their application. After approval, there is usually a one-year trial period before becoming a full member.

In 1988, the WPK said it had over three million members. This was a big increase from earlier numbers. About 12 percent of the population were party members at that time. Today, it is estimated that about 6.5 million people are members.

North Korean society is divided into three groups: industrial workers, peasants, and samuwon. Samuwon includes clerks, small traders, teachers, and writers. Since 1948, industrial workers have been the largest group of party members.

WPK Symbols

The WPK's symbol is like the communist hammer and sickle, but it also has a traditional Korean calligraphy brush. The hammer stands for industrial workers. The sickle stands for peasants. The ink brush stands for the samuwon class. This samuwon class is special to North Korea's way of looking at society. It was created to encourage education and reading among the people.

Elections for the Supreme People's Assembly

The WPK takes part in elections for the Supreme People's Assembly. The table below shows how many seats the WPK has won in these elections over the years.

Election	Party leader	Seats	+/–	Position
1948	Kim Il Sung	157 / 572	157	1st
1957		178 / 215	21	1st
1962		371 / 383	193	1st
1967		288 / 457	83	1st
1972		127 / 541	161	1st
1977		[data missing]
1982		[data missing]
1986		[data missing]
1990		601 / 687		1st
1998	Kim Jong Il	594 / 687	7	1st
2003		[data missing]
2009		606 / 687		1st
2014	Kim Jong Un	607 / 687	1	1st
2019		[data missing]

Images for kids

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  The official symbol of the Workers' Party of Korea.

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  The flag of the Workers' Party of Korea.

See also

In Spanish: Partido del Trabajo de Corea para niños

• Elections in North Korea
• Politics of North Korea
• List of political parties in North Korea
• Pyongyang Sports Club