Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland
The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea (CPRK) is a North Korean state agency aimed at promoting Korean reunification.
| 조국평화통일위원회 | |
 Emblem of the Workers' Party of Korea | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 13, 1961 |
| Jurisdiction | Korean reunification |
| Headquarters | Pyongyang, North Korea |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent agency | United Front Department |
| Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 조국평화통일위원회 |
|---|---|
| Hancha | |
| Revised Romanization | Joguk Pyeonghwa Tong-il Wiwonhoe |
| McCune–Reischauer | Choguk P'yŏnghwa T'ong'il Wiwŏnhoi |
Overview
The CPRK was not a governmental body per se but rather an offshoot of the Korean Workers' Party's United Front Department; the distinction is intended to emphasise the North Korean government's position that the Southern government is illegitimate and should not be dealt with by official bodies.[1] It was established on 13 May 1961 as part of Pyongyang's ongoing response to the South Korean April Revolution of the preceding year which had resulted in Rhee Syng-man's resignation. The mere announcement of the CPRF's creation is believed to have exacerbated political instability in the South and to have contributed to the success of army general Park Chung-hee's coup three days later. In the aftermath of the Committee's creation, Pyongyang's reunification policy took a turn towards more pro-active means aimed at provoking the Southern government and inciting an internal Communist revolution there; Pyongyang concluded further military agreements with China and the Soviet Union, captured the USS Pueblo, attempted to assassinate Park Chung-hee in 1968 in what became known as the Blue House Raid, and shot down an American aircraft the following year.[2] The CPRF conducts propaganda operations in South Korea and elsewhere abroad.[3] During the fourth session of the 13th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) on June 29, 2016, the committee was reorganized and elevated into a state agency.[4]
Membership
Former vice-chairmen
- Choe Deok-sin (until 1989)[6]
- Kim Yong-sun (until 2003)[7]
- Kim Ki-nam (c. 2005)[8]
See also
- Ministry of Unification, a department of South Korean government similar to CPRK
References
- Oh, Kong-Dan; Hessig, Ralph (2002). Korea Briefing 2000–2001: First Steps Toward Reconciliation and Reunification. M.E. Sharpe. p. 265. ISBN 9780765609540.
- Hwang, K. (1980). The Neutralized-unification of Korea in Perspective. Transaction Publishers. p. 89. ISBN 9781412829519.
- Kim, Ilpyong J. (2003). "Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland". Historical Dictionary of North Korea. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-8108-4331-8.
- "The Fourth Session of the 13th SPA: Tweaks at the Top". 38 North. 2016-07-06. Retrieved 2019-08-30.
- "Modern Korean History Portal: Timeline: 1981". Wilson Center Digital Archive. History and Public Policy Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- "Choi Duk Shin, 75, Ex-South Korean Envoy". The New York Times. 1989-11-19. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
- Len, Samuel (2003-10-28). "Pyongyang official dies of crash injuries". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-06-08.
- "S. Korean president meets DPRK officials". People's Daily. 2005-08-17. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
Further reading
- "Interview with Pak Yong Su, Vice Director of CPRF on Inter-Korean Relations". The People's Korea. 15 December 1999. Archived from the original on 27 April 2003. Retrieved 7 July 2019.