Солтүстік Корея Жоғарғы Халық Жиналысы

Unicameral legislature of North Korea

The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA; hangul=최고인민회의) is the legislature of North Korea. It is ostensibly the highest organ of state power and the only branch of government in North Korea, with all state organs subservient to it under the principle of unified power. However, in practice it is a rubber stamp legislature which exists to approve decisions made by the ruling party as a formality, and which has little to no real power of its own. It consists of one deputy from each of North Korea's 687 constituencies, elected to five year terms. The constitution identifies the SPA as the "highest organ of state power" and all state positions, including the President of the State Affairs and in theory the Premier of the Cabinet, trace their authority to it. The Assembly typically does not legislate directly but delegates that task to a smaller Standing Committee. Government officials carry out the policies legislated by the SPA subject to oversight and correction by the Workers' Party of Korea. The Workers' Party of Korea, which the constitution recognizes as the state's leading party, dominates the Assembly in a monopoly coalition with the Social Democratic Party and the Chondoist Chongu Party called the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea. Elections are held in five year intervals, the most recent in 2019.

Under the 1972 Constitution, the number of seats in the Assembly was 655. This was increased to 687 following the 1986 election. In 1990, the composition of the SPA was 601 seats held by the Workers' Party of Korea, 51 seats held by the Korean Social Democratic Party, 22 seats held by the Chondoist Chongu Party and 13 seats held by independents. The last convention during Kim Il Sung's government took place in April 1994, three months before his death. Then during the mourning period the assembly did not meet, nor did elections take place. The next meeting convened in September 1998, four years after Kim's death. Kim Jong Il did not make a speech at the first session of the 10th SPA in 1998. Instead, members listened to a tape recorded speech of the late Kim Il Sung, which was made at the first session of the 9th SPA, in 1991. The enhanced status of the Korean People's Army was anticipated by the SPA election July 1998, when 101 military officials were elected out of 687 delegates. This was a large increase from the 57 military officials elected during the 9th SPA in 1990. Kim Yong nam served as chairman of the Assembly Presidum from 1998 until 2019. Pak Thae song is the Chairman (Speaker), while Pak Chol min and Pak Kum hui are the vice chairmen. His status as leader was reaffirmed when he was elected unopposed on March 9, 2014. Kim was nominated to represent his district, the symbolic Mount Paektu, in the assembly election. Voters could vote yes or no, with all voting in the affirmative, according to government officials. In 2017, the assembly created a subordinate Diplomatic Commission, which had use in terms of dialogue with international parliaments. On 11 April 2019, Choe Ryong hae was appointed chairman of the Presidium.

Under the Constitution of North Korea, all citizens 20 and older, regardless of party affiliation, political views, or religion, are eligible to be elected to the legislature and vote in elections. All candidates are selected by the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea in mass meetings held to decide which candidates will be nominated and their names can only go on the ballot paper with the approval of the meeting. The Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea is a popular front dominated by the Korean Workers' Party, in which almost all power rests. The other participants in the coalition include the two other de facto legal political parties, the Korean Social Democratic Party and the Chondoist Chongu Party, as well as various other member organizations including social groups and youth groups, such as the Korean Children's Union, the Socialist Patriotic Youth League, the Korean Democratic Women's League, and the Red Cross Society of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.