The premier of North Korea, officially the premier of the Cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is the head of government of North Korea and leader of the North Korean Cabinet.
The office was established in 1948, with Kim Il Sung serving as the inaugural premier. During this period, the premiership was the highest state post. In 1972, with the creation of the state of the state president, many of the office's powers were transferred to the presidency and the Central People's Committee. The premier is officially appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), which also appoints other members of the Cabinet on the nomination of the premier. The premier organizes and leads the Cabinet, and constitutionally represents the government of North Korea. The premier also attends the plenary meetings and the permanent committee meetings of the Cabinet. The incumbent premier is Pak Thae-song, since 29 December 2024.
History
Originally, under the 1948 Constitution of the DPRK, the Premier was the highest state post in North Korea and the head of government. Kim Il Sung himself inaugurated the post, keeping it for 24 years until 1972, while the ceremonial role of the head of state rested in the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly.
The 1972 Constitution created the post of President, which replaced the premiership as the top state post. The executive presidency was created with Kim in mind, and he transferred to that post soon after the Constitution was promulgated. The premier also nominates the candidacies for other members of the Cabinet, including vice premiers, the cabinet chairman, various ministers and other cabinet members, which are then appointed by the SPA. A newly-appointed premier takes an oath of allegiance in the SPA on behalf of other cabinet members.
List of office holders
The following is a list of premiers of North Korea since its founding in 1948.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
|-
! rowspan="2" |No.
! rowspan="2" |Portrait
! rowspan="2" width="150" |Name<br>
! colspan="3" |Term of office
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Party
! rowspan="2" width="125" |Head of state
! rowspan="2" |SPA
|-
! width="85" |
! width="85" |
! width="85" |
|-
! colspan="10" | Premier of the Cabinet<br>
|-
| rowspan="5" |1
| rowspan="5" |100px
| rowspan="5" |Kim Il Sung<br><br>
| rowspan="5" |<br>1948
| rowspan="5" |<br>1972
| rowspan="5" |
! style="background:;" |
| Workers' Party of North Korea<br>
| rowspan="2" |Kim Tu-bong<br>
| rowspan="2" |1st
|-style="height:25px;"
! rowspan="4" style="background:;" |
| rowspan="4" |Workers' Party of Korea<br>
|-
| rowspan="3" |Choe Yong-gon<br>
| 2nd
|-
| 3rd
|-
| 4th
|-
! colspan="10" |Premier of the Administration Council<br>
|-
| 2
| 100px
| Kim Il<br><br>
| <br>1972
| <br>1976
|
! style="background:;" |
| Workers' Party of Korea
| rowspan="9" |Kim Il Sung<br>
| rowspan="2" |5th
|-
| 3
| 100px
| Pak Song-chol<br><br>
| <br>1976
| <br>1977
|
! style="background:;" |
| Workers' Party of Korea
|-
| rowspan="2" |4
| rowspan="2" |100px
| rowspan="2" |Ri Jong-ok<br><br>
| rowspan="2" |<br>1977
| rowspan="2" |<br>1984
| rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" style="background:;" |
| rowspan="2" |Workers' Party of Korea
| 6th
|-
| rowspan="2" |7th
|-
| 5
| 100px<!-- Do not use placeholder images per WP:IPH -->
| Kang Song-san<br><br>
| <br>1984
| <br>1986
|
! style="background:;" |
| Workers' Party of Korea
|-
| 6
| 100px<!-- Do not use placeholder images per WP:IPH -->
| Ri Kun-mo<br><br>
| <br>1986
| <br>1988
|
! style="background:;" |
| Workers' Party of Korea
| rowspan="2" |8th
|-style="height:35px;"
| rowspan="2" |7
| rowspan="2" |100px<!-- Do not use placeholder images per WP:IPH -->
| rowspan="2" |Yon Hyong-muk<br><br>
| rowspan="2" |<br>1988
| rowspan="2" |<br>1992
| rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" style="background:;" |
| rowspan="2" |Workers' Party of Korea
|-
| rowspan="4" |9th
|-style="height:35px;"
| rowspan="2" |(5)
| rowspan="2" |100px<!-- Do not use placeholder images per WP:IPH -->
| rowspan="2" |Kang Song-san<br><br>
| rowspan="2" |<br>1992
| rowspan="2" |<br>1997
| rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" style="background:;" |
| rowspan="2" |Workers' Party of Korea
|-
| rowspan="2" |Vacant<br>
|-
| –
| 100px<!-- Do not use placeholder images per WP:IPH -->
| Hong Song-nam<br><br>
| <br>1997
| <br>1998
|
! style="background:;" |
| Workers' Party of Korea
|-
! colspan="10" |Premier of the Cabinet<br>
|-
| 8
| 100px<!-- Do not use placeholder images per WP:IPH -->
| Hong Song-nam<br><br><br>
| <br>1998
| <br>2003
|
! style="background:;" |
| Workers' Party of Korea
| rowspan="3" |Kim Yong-nam<br>
| 10th
|-
| 9
| 100px<!-- Do not use placeholder images per WP:IPH -->
| Pak Pong-ju<br><br><br>
| <br>2003
| <br>2007
|
! style="background:;" |
| Workers' Party of Korea
| rowspan="2" |11th
|-style="height:40px;"
| rowspan="2" |10
| rowspan="2" |100px<!-- Do not use placeholder images per WP:IPH -->
| rowspan="2" |Kim Yong-il<br><br><br>
| rowspan="2" |<br>2007
| rowspan="2" |<br>2010
| rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" style="background:;" |
| rowspan="2" |Workers' Party of Korea
|-
| rowspan="2" |Kim Jong Il<br>
| rowspan="4" |12th
|-
| rowspan="2" |11
| rowspan="2" |100px<!-- Do not use placeholder images per WP:IPH -->
| rowspan="2" |Choe Yong-rim<br><br><br>
| rowspan="2" |<br>2010
| rowspan="2" |<br>2013
| rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" style="background:;" |
| rowspan="2" |Workers' Party of Korea
|-
| rowspan="7" |Kim Jong Un<br>
|-style="height:40px;"
| rowspan="2" |(9)
| rowspan="2" |100px<!-- Do not use placeholder images per WP:IPH -->
| rowspan="2" |Pak Pong-ju<br><br><br>
| rowspan="2" |<br>2013
| rowspan="2" |<br>2019
| rowspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" style="background:;" |
| rowspan="2" |Workers' Party of Korea
|-
| rowspan="1" |13th
|-
| 12
| 100px<!-- Do not use placeholder images per WP:IPH -->
| Kim Jae-ryong<br><br><br>
| <br>2019
| <br>2020
|
! style="background:;" |
| Workers' Party of Korea
| rowspan="3" |14th
|-
| 13
| 100px
| Kim Tok-hun<br><br><br>
| <br>2020
| <br>2024
|
! style="background:;" |
| Workers' Party of Korea
|-style="height:50px;"
| rowspan="2" | 14
| rowspan="2" | 100px
| rowspan="2" | Pak Thae-song<br><br><br>
| rowspan="2" | <br>2024
| rowspan="2" | Incumbent
| rowspan="2" |
| rowspan="2" style="background:;" |
| rowspan="2" | Workers' Party of Korea
|-
|15th
|}
Timeline
See also
- Prime Minister of Imperial Korea (1895–1910)
- Prime Minister of South Korea
- Government of North Korea