The chairman is formally elected by the SPA. The chairman organizes and guides the work of the Standing Committee, and presides over its work.[1] Additionally, the chairman receives credentials and letters of recall of diplomatic representatives accredited by foreign countries. The chairman is assisted by vice chairpersons and a secretary-general, who together comprise the Permanent Committee of the Standing Committee, The chairman is also, along with all other members of the SPA Standing Committee, a member of the Plenary Meeting of the Standing Committee.[2]
The current chairman of the Standing Committee is Choe Ryong-hae, who was chosen on 11 April 2019.[3]
History
The 1948 Constitution created the position of Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly.[4] The chairman presided over the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, which was given the power to ratify or annul treaties with foreign countries, appoint or recall ambassadors to foreign countries and receive letters of credentials or recall of foreign diplomatic representatives.[5] This made the chairman of the SPA Standing Committee the de jure head of state of North Korea. Nominally, the Chairman of the SPA Standing Committee held the highest state post followed by the premier, Kim Il Sung.
The 1972 Constitution created the position of President of North Korea who is tasked with being the country's head of state.[6] The Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (under the new Korean title of 최고인민회의 상설회의 의장) was removed of its power to represent the state and was limited to doing legislative work as the concurrent chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly.[7]
The 1998 revision of the 1972 Constitution created the position under the new English translation of President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly with its powers as head of state restored.[8] However, the 1972 Constitution was revised in April 2019 to designate the then-Chairman of the State Affairs Commission as the head of state, with the powers reserved to the head of state being transferred to the SAC chairman in August of the same year.
In February 2022, the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission began to be referred in English as the President of the State Affairs. This led to the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly being referred in English to its previous title of Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly.
Cha, Victor D.; Hwang, Balbina Y. (2008). "Government and Politics". In Worden, Robert L. (ed.). North Korea: A Country Study (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress. pp. 187–234. ISBN978-0-8444-1188-0.
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