List of political parties in North Korea

North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is formally a multi-party state under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) leading the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea similar to the popular fronts of other communist countries such as the United Front in China. However, in reality, the WPK holds a total monopoly on power and other parties are not constitutionally allowed to take power, effectively making North Korea a one-party state.

As of the latest election in 2019, three parties (WPK, Korean Social Democratic Party, and Chondoist Chongu Party) and one organization (Chongryon) are represented in the Supreme People's Assembly, the country's unicameral parliament.

List

Party		SPA seats (2014)	Status	Ref
	Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) 조선로동당 Chosŏn Rodongdang	607 / 687	Ruling party	[1][2]
	Korean Social Democratic Party (KSDP) 조선사회민주당 Chosŏn Sahoe Minjudang	50 / 687	Minor party, subordinate to the WPK	[1][2]
	Chondoist Chongu Party (CCP) 천도교청우당 Ch'ŏndogyo Ch'ŏngudang	22 / 687	Minor party, subordinate to the WPK	[1][2]
	Chongryon (CYJ) 재일본 조선인 총련합회 Chaeilbon Chosŏnin Ch'ongryŏnhaphoe	6 / 687	Not a party but a North Korean-aligned organization for Zainichi Koreans in Japan. Despite this, it still appoints members of the SPA.	[1][2]

Former Parties

Party		SPA seats (2014)	Status	Ref
	Korea Buddhist Federation (KBF) 조선불교도련맹 Chosŏn-bulgyodo-ryŏnmaeng	N/A	Pseudo-party, last time won a seat with certainty in 1972	[3]
	Democratic Independent Party (DIP) 민주독립당 Minju Tongnipdang	N/A	Participated in elections between 1948 and 1967, last time won a seat with certainty in 1962	[1]
	Dongro People's Party (DPP) 동로인민당 Dongro Inmindang	N/A	Participated in elections between 1948 and 1967, last time won a seat with certainty in 1962	[1]
	Gonmin People's Alliance (GMH) 건민인민연합 Gonmin Inminyŏnhap	N/A	Participated in elections between 1957 and 1967, last time won a seat with certainty in 1962	[3]
	People's Republic Party (IRP) 인민공화당 Inmin Konghwadang	N/A	South Korea-based party, participated in elections between 1948 and 1967, last time won a seat with certainty in 1957	[1][4]
	Laboring People's Party (LPP) 근로인민당 Kŭllo Inmindang	N/A	South Korea-based party, last time won a seat with certainty in 1957	[4]
	Union of People's Masses (UPM)	N/A	South Korea-based party, last time won a seat with certainty in 1957	[4]

Dissolved Parties

• Workers' Party of North Korea
• New People's Party of Korea
• Communist Party of Korea

North Korean opposition parties

There is currently no known organized opposition within North Korea that is independently verifiable. However, there are various exiled dissident groups that oppose the regime.

• Free Joseon
• North Korea Freedom Coalition
• Fighters for a Free North Korea
• North Korean People's Liberation Front

See also

• Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland
• Elections in North Korea
• Politics of North Korea
• List of ruling political parties by country

References

1. Suh 2001, p. 404.
2. "IPU PARLINE Database: Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Choe Go In Min Hoe Ui". Inter-Parliamentary Union. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
3. Suh 2001, pp. 404-405.
4. Tertitskiy, Fyodor (19 September 2017). "1959: Secret elections in North Korea". DailyNK. Retrieved 30 November 2017.

Works cited

• Suh, Mark B. (2001). "Korea (Democratic People's Republic / North Korea)". In Nohlen, Dieter; Grotz, Florian; Hartmann, Christof (eds.). Elections in Asia and the Pacific: A Data Handbook. 2. pp. 395–409. ISBN 0-19-924959-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Further reading

• Lankov, Andrei N. (2001). "The Demise of Non-Communist Parties in North Korea (1945–1960)". Journal of Cold War Studies. 3 (1): 103–125. doi:10.1162/15203970151032164. ISSN 1520-3972.
• Tertitskiy, Fyodor (26 November 2014). "Being a minor party in the North: In a totalitarian regime, what do N. Korea's other political blocs do?". NK News.