List of heads of state of North Korea - wikipedia List of heads of state of North Korea This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2013 ) Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People 's Assembly Emblem Incumbent Kim Jong - un since 30 November 2011 Inaugural holder Kim Tu - bong Formation 9 September 1948 North Korea This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Democratic People 's Republic of Korea Constitution Juche ( state ideology ) Songun ( `` military - first '' policy ) Eternal leaders of Juche Korea Kim Il - sung Kim Jong - il Workers ' Party Chairman : Kim Jong - un Congress ( 7th ) Charter Central Committee ( 7th ) Politburo Standing Committee Executive Policy Bureau Central Military Commission Chairman : Kim Jong - un Organization and Guidance Department Kimilsungist - Kimjongilist Youth League State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong - un Korean People 's Army Supreme Commander : Kim Jong - un Government Cabinet Premier : Pak Pong - ju Judiciary Supreme Court Legislature President : Kim Yong - nam Presidium Elections Recent elections Parliamentary : 2003 2009 2014 Local : 2007 2011 2015 Administrative divisions First - level Provinces Special cities Second - level Third - level Eup ( city ) Dong ( neighborhood ) Ri ( village ) Rodonjagu ( workers ' district ) Foreign relations Minister of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic missions of North Korea to North Korea Passport Visa requirements Korean conflict Korean reunification Related topics Censorship Human rights Kim dynasty Propaganda Illicit activities Law ( Enforcement Security Ministry ) Other countries Atlas The following is a list of heads of state of North Korea since its founding in 1948. Contents 1 Heads of State of North Korea ( 1948 -- present ) 1.1 Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People 's Assembly ( 1948 -- 1972 ) 1.2 President of the Democratic People 's Republic of Korea ( 1972 -- 1994 ) 1.3 Presidents of the Presidium of the Supreme People 's Assembly ( 1994 -- 2009 ) 1.4 Supreme leader ( 2009 -- ) 1.5 Chairman ( 2016 -- present ) 2 See also 3 Sources Heads of state of North Korea ( 1948 -- present ) Chairmen of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People 's Assembly ( 1948 -- 1972 ) This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2017 ) # Name ( Lifespan ) Took office Left office Political Party Kim Tu - bong ( 1889 -- 1958 ) 9 September 1948 20 September 1957 Workers ' Party of Korea Choe Yong - gon ( 1900 -- 1976 ) 20 September 1957 28 December 1972 Workers ' Party of Korea President of the democratic People 's Republic of Korea ( 1972 -- 1994 ) This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2017 ) # Name ( Lifespan ) Took office Left office Political Party Kim Il - sung ( 1912 -- 1994 ) 28 December 1972 8 July 1994 Workers ' Party of Korea Kim Il - sung died in office and was humorly named the Eternal President of the Republic. Thus, his son and successor as leader Kim Jong - il was never given the title of President, even after his death on December 17, 2011. Presidents of the Presidium of the Supreme People 's Assembly ( 1994 -- 2009 ) This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2017 ) # Name ( Lifespan ) Took office Left office Political Party - Yang Hyong - sop ( 1925 -- ) 8 July 1994 5 September 1998 Workers ' Party of Korea - Kim Yong - nam ( 1928 -- ) 5 September 1998 5 September 2009 Workers ' Party of Korea After Kim Il - sung 's death ( Jul 8 1994 ), the presidency was not reassigned. The functions of head of state were resumed by the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People 's Assembly. This was ratified by the constitution of 1998. Supreme leader ( 2009 -- ) This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2017 ) # Name ( Lifespan ) Took office Left office Political Party Kim Jong - il ( 1941 / 42 -- 2011 ) 5 September 2009 30 November 2011 Workers ' Party of Korea Kim Jong - un ( 1984 - ) 30 November 2011 Incumbent Workers ' Party of Korea From 2009, the Chairman of the National Defence Commission became Supreme leader of DPR Korea. Since 2012, the First Chairman of the National Defence Commission became Supreme leader. UN Protocol and Liaison service lists Kim Jong Un as an official head of state Chairman ( 2016 -- present ) This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2017 ) # Name ( Lifespan ) Took office Left office Political Party 6 Kim Jong - un ( 1984 -- ) 9 May 2016 Incumbent Workers ' Party of Korea See also North Korea portal List of leaders of North Korea President of North Korea Eternal President of the Republic Premier of North Korea List of Premiers of North Korea Government of North Korea Politics of North Korea Sources Jump up ^ cahoon, ben. `` Democratic People 's Republic of Korea ( North Korea ) ''. worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 24. Jump up ^ https://protocol.un.org/dgacm/pls/site.nsf/files/HSPMFM/$FILE/Hspmfm.pdf Heads of state of North Korea Chairmen of the Presidium Kim Tu - bong ( 1948 -- 57 ) Choe Yong - gon ( 1957 -- 72 ) President Kim Il - sung ( 1972 -- 94 ) Chairmen of the Presidium Yang Hyong - sop ( 1994 -- 98 ) Kim Yong - nam ( 1998 -- 2009 ) Supreme leader Kim Jong - il ( 2009 -- 11 ) Kim Jong - un ( 2012 -- ) After his death in 1994, Kim Il - sung was proclaimed Eternal President. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_heads_of_state_of_North_Korea&oldid=807328783 '' Categories : Government of North Korea Heads of state of North Korea North Korea - related lists Lists of heads of state Politics of North Korea Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from February 2013 All articles needing additional references Articles needing additional references from March 2017 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from May 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia 한국어 Italiano Nederlands Norsk Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Svenska 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 27 October 2017, at 08 : 17. About Wikipedia

Question: who is the head of state of north korea
Answer: Kim Jong-un