# State Affairs Commission of North Korea

The State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (SAC) is constitutionally the supreme political authority of North Korea. The State Affairs Commission was created by 2016 amendments to the North Korean Constitution to replace the previously military-dominated National Defence Commission.
The body is headed by the President of the State Affairs Commission, commonly styled in official North Korean releases as "President of State Affairs", who is defined as the head of state of the nation and the supreme leader. The current President is Kim Jong Un. The first vice-president is Choe Ryong-hae, who is also the Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly Standing Committee.

## History

The predecessor body, National Defence Commission, was created in 1972 as sub-committee for defence and security affairs of the Supreme People's Committee, the later was headed by the President of the DPRK Kim Il Sung and exercised similar powers within the constitutional framework of the 1972 Constitution of North Korea.
The National Defence Commission was separated from the Supreme People's Committee in 1992 and Kim Jong Il was officially designated as chair of the body. In 1998, two years after the death of Kim Il Sung, the National Defence Commission was empowered as the supreme defence body, and in line with the Songun ideology, the supreme political authority of state and legal framework for Kim Jong Il's personal dictatorship.
After the 7th Congress of the Workers Party of Korea, the constitution was amended in June 2016 that reformed the National Defence Commission into the contemporary State Affairs Commission, with the amended text stipulating the body's control over national policy.

## Powers and responsibilities

Article 106 of the Constitution of North Korea defines the State Affairs Commission as the supreme state organ of policy direction of state sovereignty. Article 109 of the Constitution states that the SAC's powers are to:
* deliberate and decide on major policies of the State including defence and security policies;
* exercise supervision over the fulfillment of the orders of the President of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the decisions and directives of the Commission, and take measures for their fulfillment;
* abrogate decisions and directives of State organs which run counter to the orders of the President of the SAC-DPRK and the decisions and directives of the Commission in its meetings.
In practice, SAC supervises the Cabinet of North Korea. It also directly supervises the three ministries that are not under the Cabinet, namely the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Social Security as well as the Korean People's Army, mainly the General Staff Department of the Korean People's Army and General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army. The Supreme Guard Command which is responsible for the top leadership and government protection is also under its command. One additional entity, the State Physical Culture and Sports Guidance Commission (국가체육지도위원회), is also under the SAC as its Chairman is appointed by the Commission.

## Members

The following are the current members of the State Affairs Commission as of 29 September 2021:
President of the State Affairs Commission :
| President | President | Political party | Political party | Member since | Other positions |
| | Kim Jong Un 김정은 (born 1984) | | Workers' Party of Korea | 29 June 2016 | General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea Member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of North Korea |
| First Vice President of the State Affairs Commission ||||||
| First Vice President | First Vice President | Political party | Political party | Member since | Other positions |
| | Choe Ryong-hae 최룡해 (born 1950) | | Workers' Party of Korea | 29 June 2016 | Member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly |
| Vice President of the State Affairs Commission ||||||
| Vice President | Vice President | Political party | Political party | Member since | Other positions |
| | Kim Tok-hun 김덕훈 (born 1961) | | Workers' Party of Korea | 29 September 2021 | Member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Premier of the Cabinet |
| Members of the State Affairs Commission ||||||
| Member | Member | Political party | Political party | Member since | Other positions |
| | Kim Yong-chol 김영철 (born 1945) | | Workers' Party of Korea | 29 June 2016 | Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Director of the Unified Front Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea |
| | Ri Chang-dae 리창대 | | Workers' Party of Korea | 11 April 2018 | Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea Minister of State Security Colonel General of the Korean People's Army |
| | Choe Son-hui 최선희 | | Workers' Party of Korea | 12 April 2020 | Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| | Jo Yong-won 조용원 (born 1957) | | Workers' Party of Korea | 29 September 2021 | Member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea Colonel General of the Korean People's Army |
| | Pak Jong-chon 박정천 | | Workers' Party of Korea | 29 September 2021 | Member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea |
| | O Su-yong 오수용 (born 1944) | | Workers' Party of Korea | 29 September 2021 | Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Director of the Economic Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea |
| | Ri Yong-gil 리영길 (born 1955) | | Workers' Party of Korea | 29 September 2021 | Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea Minister of National Defence General of the Korean People's Army |
| | Jang Jong-nam 장정남 | | Workers' Party of Korea | 29 September 2021 | Alternate Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Minister of Public Security Lieutenant General |
| | Kim Song-nam 김성남 (born 1953) | | Workers' Party of Korea | 29 September 2021 | Alternate Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Director of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea |
| | Kim Yo Jong 김여정 (born 1987) | | Workers' Party of Korea | 29 September 2021 | Deputy Department Director of the Publicity and Information Department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea |