Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Supreme People's Assembly

Political system: Communist system
Structure of parliament: Unicameral
IPU membership: Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s): 10 Mar 2019
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: No information available
Timing of election: Upon normal expiry
Expected date of next elections: 31 Dec 2025
Number of seats at stake: 687
Scope of elections: Full renewal

Candidates

Total number of candidates: 687
Number of male candidates: 566
Number of female candidates: 121
Percentage of women candidates: 17.6%

Results

About the election: According to the Central Electoral Committee, 99.99 per cent of registered voters participated in the elections. As in the previous elections, all candidates were elected to the Supreme People’s Assembly. They had been selected by the ruling Korean Workers' Party and its small allies. The country’s leader Kim Jong Un was not on the ballot in the 2019 elections, while his younger sister Kim Yo Jong was elected to the Supreme People’s Assembly for the first time. Other first-timers include Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, who led nuclear talks with the United States of America.

On 11 April 2019, the newly elected Supreme People’s Assembly re-elected Kim Jong Un as Chairman of the State Affairs Commission and referred to him with the new title “supreme representative of all the Korean people”; he subsequently became the official Head of State (see note). Addressing the first session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, Mr. Kim promised to continue Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism policies (named after his grandfather and father) to build a powerful socialist country. He also referred to three summit meetings with the Republic of Korea in 2018 as great events of huge significance and declared the start of a new journey toward national reunification.

The Supreme People’s Assembly replaced several long-serving officials by a younger generation. Mr. Choe Ryong Hae was elected as the new President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, replacing Mr. Kim Yong Nam; Mr. Kim Jae Ryong as the new Premier of the Cabinet, replacing Mr. Pak Pong Ju; and Mr. Pak Thae Song as the new Speaker, replacing Mr. Choe Thae Bok.

Note:

The Supreme People’s Assembly revised the Constitution in April 2019, which was unveiled in July. The new Constitution states that the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission is not only the "supreme leader" but also "represents the nation". Previously, the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly was the constitutional Head of State. The revised Constitution still states that the President of the Presidium receives credentials from foreign envoys. The new Constitution deleted the military-first policy (known as "songun"), advocated by late leader Kim Jong Il, from its preamble and states "Science technology power is the nation's most important strategic resource".
Alternation of power after elections: No
Number of parties in government: 1
Names of parties in government: Workers' Party of Korea

Members elected, by sex

Number of men elected: 566
Number of women elected: 121
Percentage of women elected: 17.6%
Women Directly Elected: 121
Sources: Permanent Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva (19.04.2019)

KCNA website

Yonhap news agency

NK News

BBC Monitoring

Aljazeera

New legislature

Total number of men after the election: 566
Total number of women after the election: 121
Percentage of women after the election: 17.6%
First-term parliamentarians: No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians: No information available
Date of the first session: 11 Apr 2019

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature: Pak Thae Song (Male)
Political party: Workers' Party of Korea
Date of election: 11 Apr 2019