Background of the Presidency in North Korea
The presidency of North Korea is a largely ceremonial office with considerable influence over state affairs. The president of North Korea is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Korean People’s Army. The president is elected by the Supreme People’s Assembly, the nation’s legislative body, with the leader of the Workers’ Party of Korea formally nominated as the presidential candidate.
The first president of North Korea was Kim Il-sung, who was elected on 9 September 1948. Kim was the leader of the then newly formed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which would later become the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea. He is widely regarded as the nation’s founding father and the ‘eternal leader’ of North Korea. He had been a prominent guerrilla fighter in the struggle against the Japanese occupation of Korea.
Succession and Successors
After Kim Il-sung’s death in 1994, his son Kim Jong-il took over as president. Kim Jong-il had served as prime minister since 1991 and was the leader of the Workers’ Party of Korea. He succeeded his father as president and is largely credited with the economic successes of the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was also credited with continued reforms in the education system, health care and the economy. After Kim Jong-il died in 2011, his son Kim Jong-un was formally elected president of North Korea in April 2012. Kim Jong-un came to power without any prior political experience but has made several reforms since assuming office, including an emphasis on economic growth and increased recognition of foreign culture in North Korea.
Presiding Over North Korean Politics
The president of North Korea is the head of state and supreme commander-in-chief of the Korean People’s Army. The president presides over the National Defense Commission and the Cabinet of North Korea. The president is responsible for proposing policy and legislation for the Supreme People’s Assembly and is expected to set national policies for North Korea.
The president retains significant amounts of power and influence over state affairs, but he or she is not permitted to exercise control over certain decision-making processes, such as the selection of party leaders or military commanders. The president is expected to appoint and dismiss party and state leaders, endorse new laws and regulations, appoint members to the National Defense Commission and the Cabinet of North Korea, issue presidential orders, oversee foreign and domestic policy, and serve as the symbolic head of state.
Foreign Policy
The current president of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, has adopted a more moderate approach to foreign policy than his predecessors. He has reached out to foreign countries through diplomatic channels, in particular focusing on South Korea, China and the US – which has resulted in a major improvement in relations.
Kim has also committed to dismantling North Korea’s nuclear weapons program in exchange for security guarantees from the US and South Korea. This has significantly improved international relations and has led to an easing of economic sanctions on North Korea.
Economic Policy
Under Kim Jong-un, North Korea has initiated significant economic reforms. These include loosening state control on foreign investments, foreign currency and state-owned companies. The government has also allowed private businesses to operate, provided they align with the state’s economic policies.
The government has also introduced a series of financial measures to stimulate the economy such as reducing taxes, increasing foreign currency access and allowing foreign investors to repatriate profits from North Korea. The goal of these policies is to modernize North Korea’s economy and open up the country to foreign markets.
Domestic Policy
The president of North Korea is responsible for ensuring domestic stability and implementing policies for the improvement of the lives of North Korean citizens.
Kim Jong-un has reversed many of his father’s hardline domestic policies and has allowed for the introduction of a wider range of foreign culture into North Korea, including music, films and television. The government has also relaxed restrictions on religious freedom, allowing citizens to practice their faith openly – a big change from the oppressive religious policies of the past.
Kim has also implemented various welfare policies such as increasing state subsidies and providing housing aid to low-income families.
Political Education in North Korea
The president of North Korea is responsible for maintaining the political education of all citizens. The government of North Korea has mandatory classes in schools and universities that teach the state’s core values and ideology.
The curriculum includes patriotic lessons, political theory and the biography of the nation’s leaders. The classes are designed to inculcate North Korean citizens with the official ideologies of the nation and instill a sense of loyalty to the state. The government also monitors the media, including broadcasting and print, to ensure that all materials are in line with state policy.
Foreign Media in North Korea
Kim Jong-un has allowed for the limited introduction of foreign media into the country, such as South Korean television shows and movies, which can be viewed legally in North Korea. Though North Korean citizens face significant restrictions on the type of foreign media they can access, the introduction of foreign media has had a significant impact on North Korean society.
The introduction of foreign media has given North Korean citizens an insight into different cultures and lifestyles, as well as an opportunity to explore the outside world. It has also allowed them to develop a more open outlook and more flexible mindset, which has been essential in the modernization of the North Korean economy.
Tightening of Restrictions
Kim Jong-un has tightened restrictions on private and foreign businesses in recent years, in fear that the opening of the economy is leading to increased penetration of foreign ideas and concepts, which could weaken the authority of the North Korean state.
The government has increased inspections of businesses, overseas transactions and travel, and has further restricted access to information from the outside world. The government also continues to tightly monitor the media, including broadcasting and print materials, and censors any foreign material that could potentially undermine state control.
Reforms in North Korea
Though Kim Jong-un has tightened restrictions on certain activities, he has also implemented major reforms to improve North Korea’s economic and social conditions. These reforms have focused on increasing foreign investment, stimulating the domestic economy and improving social conditions.
Kim has also implemented a series of policies to continue the modernization of the North Korean economy, such as encouraging the use of new technologies, liberalizing trade policies and promoting foreign investment. The government has also begun to liberalize foreign currency access, pave the way for more direct foreign investment, and reduce barriers to business activities.
Improving Human Rights Conditions
Kim Jong-un has also taken steps to improve human rights conditions in North Korea. These reforms include loosening restrictions on freedom of speech, allowing international organizations such as the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights to operate in North Korea, and allowing citizens to practice their religion more freely.
The government has also implemented a series of measures to address the country’s food crisis, including increasing imports of food and other humanitarian aid, implementing agricultural reforms, and increasing access to clean water. Kim has committed to eradicating poverty and increasing North Korean citizens’ access to quality healthcare and education.
