Cabinet of North Korea

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Emblem of North Korea.svg
This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
North Korea
Cabinet of North Korea
Government overview
Formed 1948 (current, 2013)
Jurisdiction North Korea
Headquarters Pyongyang
Minister responsible Pak Pong-ju, Premier of North Korea

Cabinet of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the administrative and executive body of the highest organ of state power and a general state management organ in the Government of North Korea, according to the Constitution of North Korea.[1] The Cabinet's principal newspaper is Minju Choson.

Contents

History [edit]

In the first constitution of North Korea adopted In 1948 the executive powers were vested in the Cabinet, which was chaired by Kim Il-sung himself. The 1972 constitution saw the establishment of the post of President of North Korea which led the executive branch, and the cabinet was split into two organizations: The Central People's Committee and the State Administration Council. The Central People's Committee provided the highest visible institutional link between the government and the party and serves in effect as a de facto super-cabinet. The National Defence Commission was then sub-committee of this body.[2] The CPC's formal powers were all-inclusive and it was chaired by the President.[3] Among its responsibilities are formulating domestic and foreign policies, directing the work of the State Administration Council and its local organs, directing the judiciary, ensuring the enforcement of the constitution and other laws, appointing or removing the vice premiers and cabinet members, establishing or changing administrative subdivisions or their boundaries, and ratifying or abolishing treaties signed with foreign countries. The CPC also may issue decrees, decisions, and instructions. The State Administration Council was guided by the CPC and was led by a premier (chong-ri) and included vice premiers (bochong-ri), ministers (boojang), committee chairmen, and other cabinet-level members of central agencies. It was responsible for the formulation of state economic development plans and measures for implementing them, the preparation of the state budget, and the handling of other monetary and fiscal matters.[4] In 1998 amendments to the Constitution, the Central People's Committee and the State Administration were abolished, and the Cabinet was re-created. Thus, the Cabinet is not only the highest executive enforcement organ but was also expanded to become the general State management organ.

Selection [edit]

The cabinet is appointed and accountable to the Supreme People's Assembly, the North Korean unicameral parliament. The SPA chooses the Premier of North Korea who appoints three vice premiers and the cabinet's ministers. All members of the cabinet are members of the Workers' Party of Korea which rules the country since its establishement in 1948. While the SPA is not in session, the cabinet is accountable to the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.[5]

Powers and responsibilities [edit]

The Cabinet, as the executive branch of the North Korean state, is responsible for implementing the state's economic policies, as guided by the Workers' Party. The cabinet is not responsible for defense and security issues, as those are handled by the National Defense Commission. Thus, the security organizations such as the Korean People's Army, Ministry of People's Security and State Security Department report and subordinated directly to the National Defense Comission. The Cabinet convenes a plenary meeting and an executive meeting.[6] The plenary meeting consists of all the Cabinet members, while the executive meeting is kind of a presidium, and comprises fewer people, including the Premier, vice premier and other Cabinet members whom the Premier nominates. The cabinet forms acts in the form of decisions and directives. The Cabinet shall:[7]

  • adopt measures to execute state policy.
  • institute, amend, and supplement regulations concerning state management based on the Constitution and departmental laws.
  • guide the work of the Cabinet commissions, ministries, direct organs of the Cabinet, local people’s committees.
  • set up and remove direct organs of the Cabinet, main administrative economic organizations, and enterprises, and adopt measures to improve the State management structure.
  • draft the State plan for the development of the national economy and adopt measures to put it into effect.
  • compile the State budget and adopt measures to implement it.
  • organize and exercise works in the fields of industry, agriculture, construction, transportation, communications, commerce, trade, land management, city management, education, science, culture, health, physical training, labor administration, environmental protection, tourism and others.
  • adopt measures to strengthen the monetary and banking system.
  • do inspection and control work to establish a state management order.
  • adopt measures to maintain social order, protect State and social cooperation body’s possession and interests, and to guarantee citizens’ rights.
  • conclude treaties with foreign countries, and conduct external activities.
  • abolish decisions and directions by economic administrative organs, which run counter to the Cabinet decisions or directions.

In the local level, the Cabinet supervises the Local People's Committees.

Structure [edit]

The Cabinet is composed of the following:

 
Cabinet of North Korea
Office Name Political party
Premier Pak Pong-ju Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pak Ui-chun Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Finance Choe Kwang-Jin Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Public Health Choe Chang-sik Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Post and Telecommunications Sim Chol-ho Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Land and Marine Transportation Kang Jong-gwan Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Railways Jon Kil-su Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Extractive Industries Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of National Resource Development[8] Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Power and Coal Industries Hur Tack Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Light Industry Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Trade Ri Seong-ho[9] Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Foreign Trade Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Labour Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Culture Kang Nung-su Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of City Management Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Capital City Construction Development Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Atomic Energy Industry[10] Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Metal Industry Kim Tae-bong Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Construction and Building-Materials Industries Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Electronics Industries Kim Jae-seong Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Agriculture Hwang Min Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Forestry Kim Kwang-yong Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Fisheries Pak Tae-won Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Oil Industry Kim Hee-yon Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Land and Environment Preservation Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of State Construction Control Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Procurement and Food Administration Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of Foodstuffs and Daily Necessities Workers' Party of Korea
Ministry of State Inspection Workers' Party of Korea
Other offices
State Planning Commission Ro Tu-chol Workers' Party of Korea
National Academy of Sciences of North Korea Workers' Party of Korea
State Commission for Physical Culture and Sports Ri Jong-moo Workers' Party of Korea
State Education Commission Workers' Party of Korea
Central Statistic Bureau Workers' Party of Korea
Central Bank of the DPRK Ri Kwang-gon Workers' Party of Korea
Cabinet Secretariat Workers' Party of Korea
Cabinet Political Bureau Jon Pyong-ho Workers' Party of Korea
Organization and Guidance Department[11] Workers' Party of Korea

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Article 117 of the Constitution of North Korea
  2. ^ Article 105 of the 1972 Constitution
  3. ^ Articles 100-106 of the 1972 Constitution of North Korea
  4. ^ A Country Study: North Korea- 1993- Library of Congress
  5. ^ Article 125 of the Constitution of North Korea
  6. ^ Article 121 of the Constitution of North Korea
  7. ^ Article 119 of the Constitution of North Korea
  8. ^ "DPRK elevates status of national resource development office". Retrieved 25 April 2013. 
  9. ^ "DPRK appoints new Minister of Commerce". Retrieved 24 April 2013. 
  10. ^ "Ministry of Atomic Energy Industry Established". Korean Central News Agency. Retrieved 13 April 2013. 
  11. ^ [1]