State Affairs Commission of North Korea

The State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (SAC) is defined by the 2016 constitution as "the supreme policy-oriented leadership body of State power."[1] The current chairman of the SAC, which is defined by the same constitution as the supreme leader of the nation,[2] is Kim Jong-un.

State Affairs Commission of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea

조선민주주의인민공화국 국무위원회
Emblem of the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission
Agency overview
Formed	29 June 2016
Preceding agency	National Defense Commission
Type	Supreme policy-oriented leadership body in North Korea
Jurisdiction	Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Headquarters	Forbidden City, Pyongyang
Agency executives	Kim Jong-un, Chairman Choe Ryong-hae, First Vice Chairman

DPRK State Affairs Commission
Chosŏn'gŭl	조선민주주의인민공화국 국무위원회
Hancha	朝鮮民主主義人民共和國國務委員會
Revised Romanization	Joseon minjujuui inmin gonghwaguk gungmu wiwonhoe
McCune–Reischauer	Chosŏn minjujuŭi inmin konghwaguk kungmu wiwŏnhoe

History

The National Defence Commission was created in 1972 as per the 1972 Constitution, originally the commission's mandate was to supervise national defense matters within North Korea.[3]

Per the 4th plenary session of the Supreme People's Assembly in June 2016 the National Defence Commission was officially replaced by the State Affairs Commission, with an expanded focus towards other national concerns aside from defense and security.

Powers and responsibilities

Article 106 of the Constitution of North Korea defines the State Affairs Commission as the supreme state organ of policy direction of state sovereignty.[1] Article 109 of the Constitution states that the SAC's powers are to:[4] [5]

• deliberate and decide on major policies of the State including defence;
• exercise supervision over the fulfillment of the orders of the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the decisions and directives of the Commission, and take measures for their fulfillment;
• abrogate decisions and directives of State organs which run counter to the orders of the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the decisions and directives of the Commission.

In practice, SAC supervises the Cabinet of North Korea. It also directly supervises the three ministries that are not under the Cabinet, namely the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Social Security as well as the Korean People's Army, mainly the General Staff Department of the Korean People's Army and General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army. The Supreme Guard Command which is responsible for the top leadership and government protection is also under its command. One additional entity, the State Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission, is also under the SAC as its Chairman is appointed by the Commission.[6][7]

Members

The following are the current members of the State Affairs Commission as of its election by the 14th Supreme People's Assembly on 11 April 2019:[8]

Chairman of the State Affairs Commission
Chairman		Political party		Member since	Other positions
	Kim Jong-un 김정은 (born 1984)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea Member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of North Korea
First Vice Chairman of the State Affairs Commission
First Vice Chairman		Political party		Member since	Other positions
	Choe Ryong-hae 최룡해 (born 1950)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	Member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly
Vice Chairman of the State Affairs Commission
Vice Chairman		Political party		Member since	Other positions
	Pak Pong-ju 박봉주 (born 1939)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	Member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
Member of the State Affairs Commission
Member		Political party		Member since	Other positions
	Kim Jae-ryong 김재룡		Workers' Party of Korea	11 April 2019	Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea Premier of the Cabinet
	Ri Man-gon 리만건 (born 1945)		Workers' Party of Korea	11 April 2019	Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly Member of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly
	Kim Yong-chol 김영철 (born 1945)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea
	Jong Kyong-thaek 정경택		Workers' Party of Korea	11 April 2018	Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea Minister of State Security General of the Korean People's Army
	Kim Su-gil 김수길 (born 1956)		Workers' Party of Korea	11 April 2019	Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army General of the Korean People's Army
	Choe Son-hui 최선희 (born 1964)		Workers' Party of Korea	11 April 2019	Member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly
	Ri Pyong-chol 리병철 (Born 1948)		Workers' Party of Korea	12 April 2020	Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
	Kim Hyong-jun 김형준 (Born 1949)		Workers' Party of Korea	12 April 2020	Alternate Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
	Kim Jong-gwan 김정관		Workers' Party of Korea	12 April 2020	Alternate Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Minister of Defence
	Ri Son-gwon 리선권		Workers' Party of Korea	12 April 2020	Alternate Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Minister of Foreign Affairs
	Kim Jong-ho 김정호		Workers' Party of Korea	12 April 2020	Member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Minister of People's Security

List of members since 2016

The following is the list of members of the State Affairs Commission since its first election on 29 June 2016. Names in bold indicates that they are a current member of the State Affairs Commission. Names are listed in their order of election.

No.	Member		Political party		Term		Position in the State Affairs Commission
1		Kim Jong-un 김정은 (born 1984)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	11 April 2019	Chairman
					11 April 2019	Incumbent
2		Hwang Pyong-so 황병서 (born 1949)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	11 April 2018	Vice Chairman
3		Choe Ryong-hae 최룡해 (born 1950)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	11 April 2019	Vice Chairman
					11 April 2019	Incumbent	First Vice Chairman
4		Pak Pong-ju 박봉주 (born 1939)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	11 April 2019	Vice Chairman
					11 April 2019	Incumbent
5		Kim Ki-nam 김기남 (born 1934)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	11 April 2018	Member
6		Pak Yong-sik 박영식 (born 1950)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	11 April 2019	Member
7		Ri Su-yong 리수용 (born 1945)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	11 April 2019	Member
					11 April 2019	Incumbent
8		Ri Man-gon 리만건 (born 1945)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	11 April 2018	Member
					11 April 2019	Incumbent
9		Kim Yong-chol 김영철 (born 1945)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	11 April 2019	Member
					11 April 2019	Incumbent
10		Kim Won-hong 김원홍 (born 1945)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	11 April 2018	Member
11		Choe Pu-il 최부일 (born 1944)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	11 April 2019	Member
					11 April 2019	12 April 2020
12		Ri Yong-ho 리용호 (born 1956)		Workers' Party of Korea	29 June 2016	11 April 2019	Member
					11 April 2019	12 April 2020
13		Kim Jong-gak 김정각 (born 1944)		Workers' Party of Korea	11 April 2018	11 April 2019	Member
14		Thae Jong-su 태종수 (born 1936)		Workers' Party of Korea	11 April 2018	11 April 2019	Member
					11 April 2019	12 April 2020
15		Jong Kyong-thaek 정경택		Workers' Party of Korea	11 April 2018	11 April 2019	Member
					11 April 2019	Incumbent
16		Kim Jae-ryong 김재룡		Workers' Party of Korea	11 April 2019	Incumbent	Member
17		Kim Su-gil 김수길 (born 1956)		Workers' Party of Korea	11 April 2019	Incumbent	Member
18		No Kwang-chol 노광철 (born 1956)		Workers' Party of Korea	11 April 2019	12 April 2020	Member
19		Choe Son-hui 최선희 (born 1964)		Workers' Party of Korea	11 April 2019	Incumbent	Member

See also

• Government of North Korea
• Military of North Korea
• National Defence Commission

References

1. Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 2016, Article 106.
2. Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 2016, Article 100.
3. "SECTION 2. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA". Naenara. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
4. Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 2016, Article 109.
5. Overview of North Korea’s NBC Infrastructure
6. "Organizational Chart of North Korean Leadership" (PDF). Seoul: Political and Military Analysis Division, Intelligence and Analysis Bureau; Ministry of Unification. January 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
7. Coduti, Maria Rosaria. The State Affairs Commission and the consolidation of Kim Jong-un's power
8. "In full: promotions and demotions at North Korea's 14th SPA". NK PRO. Korea Risk Group. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.

Works cited

• Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Amended and supplemented on June 29, Juche 105 (2016), at the Fourth Session of the 13th Supreme People's Assembly (PDF). 2016 [1972].