# 3rd Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea

The 3rd Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) was elected at the 3rd Congress on 29 April 1956, and remained in session until the election of the 4th Central Committee on 18 September 1961. In between party congresses and specially convened conferences the Central Committee is the highest decision-making institution in the WPK and North Korea. The Central Committee is not a permanent institution and delegates day-to-day work to elected bodies, such as the Standing Committee, the Organisation Committee and the Inspection Committee in the case of the 3rd Central Committee. It convenes meetings, known as "[month] Plenary Session of the Central Committee", to discuss major policies. Only full members have the right to vote, but if a full member cannot attend a plenary session, the person's spot is taken over by an alternate. Plenary session can also be attended by non-members, such meetings are known as "Enlarged Plenary Session", to participate in the committee's discussions.

## Plenums

| Plenum | Start–end | Length | Plenum agenda |
| August Plenary Session | 30–31 August 1956 | 2 days | 2 items. Report from the state delegation that had visited fraternal countries and a report on challenges facing the party (official). On reforming and strengthening public health (official). A loose coalition composed of officials from the Soviet Korean and the Yanan factions tried to either remove Kim Il Sung from power or at the very least persuade the party to initiate de-Stalinisation of political life (reality). |
| December Plenary Session | 11–13 December 1956 | 3 days | 3 items. On the economic plan for 1957. On the work of the Hambuk Provincial Committee on agricultural development. Concluding speech by Kim Il-sung, known as "To Bring About a Great Revolutionary Upswingin Socialist Construction". |
| April Plenary Session | 18–19 April 1957 | 2 days | 2 items. Report by Kim Il Sung, known as "On Further Development of Fisheries". Decision made on solving basic problems of food, housing and clothing during the First Five-Year Plan. |
| October Plenary Session | 17–19 October 1957 | 3 days | 3 items. Report by Pak Kum-chol, known as "On the Revision of the Basic Construction Projects". Debate on the convening of the 1st Conference of Representatives. Concluding speech by Kim Il-sung, known as "On Carrying Out the Party Policy in the Construction Sector". |
| December Enlarged Plenary Session | 5–6 December 1957 | 2 days | 1 item Report by Kim Il-sung, known as "On the Work of the Party and Government Delegation Which Attended the Celebration of the Fortieth Anniversary of the Great October Revolution and the Meetings of Representatives of the Communist and Workers' Parties of Various Countries in Moscow". |
| June Plenary Session | 5–7 June 1958 | 3 days | 3 items. On strengthening the foodstuff manufacturing sector and the production of daily necessities. Debate on changing and strengthening the domestic industries and foreign trade. Concluding remarks by Kim Il-sung, known as "On Expanding the Production of People's Consumer Goods and Reforming the Merchandise Exchange Works". |
| September Plenary Session | 26–27 September 1958 | 2 days | 2 items. On increasing the number of irrigated fields for agriculture. Debate on promoting the development of the metal industry. |
| February Plenary Session | 23–25 February 1959 | 3 days | 5 items. Report by Kim Il-sung, known as "Participation of the Workers' Party of Korea in the twenty-first congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union". Debate on how to improve the quality of manufactured goods and industries. Debate on improving the quality of transport and transportation. Debate on the party's various projects. Concluding remarks by Kim Il-sung. |
| June Plenary Session | 27–30 June 1959 | 4 days | 2 items. On developing animal husbandry. On the further promotion of electrical industries. |
| December Enlarged Plenary Session | 1–4 December 1959 | 5 days | 4 items. On the economic plan for 1960. Concerning the strengthening of local party organisations. On the realising of the all-people's economic movement. Concluding remarks by Kim Il-sung, known as "On Several Tasks Confronting the Socialist Economic Construction". |
| April Plenary Session | 21 April 1960 | 1 day | 2 items. An appeal to the South Korean people, known as "To the People of South Korea". Concerning the April Revolution. |
| August Enlarged Plenary Session | 8–11 August 1960 | 4 days | 3 items. On the technical revolution movement occurring in the North Korean economy. On improving the training programs for technical personnel. Concluding speech by Kim Il-sung, known as "For the Successful Accomplishment of the Technical Revolution". |
| December Enlarged Plenary Session | 20–23 December 1960 | 4 days | 3 items. General Report on the management of agriculture in 1960 and tasks for 1961. On the 1961 economic plan. On the Conference of Representatives of the Workers' Party of Korea and other communist organisations. |
| March Plenary Session | 20–22 March 1961 | 2 days | 3 items. On the convocation of the 4th Congress. On realising the decisions reached at the June 1958 Plenary Session. On further improving basic construction projects of each sector. |

## Members
### Full

| Rank | Name Hangul | Level of government (Offices held) | 2nd CC | 4th CC | Inner-composition | Inner-composition | Inner-composition |
| Rank | Name Hangul | Level of government (Offices held) | 2nd CC | 4th CC | 3rd STC | 3rd ORG | 3rd INS |
| 1 | Kim Il Sung | Central Chairman of the WPK Central Committee | Old | Reelected | Member | Member | — |
| 2 | Kim Tu-bong | Central | Old | Demoted | Member | — | — |
| 3 | Choe Yong-gon | Central | Old | Reelected | Member | Member | — |
| 4 | Pak Chong-ae | Central | Old | Reelected | Member | Member | — |
| 5 | Kim Il | Central | Old | Reelected | Member | — | — |
| 6 | Pak Kum-chol | Central | Old | Reelected | Member | Member | — |
| 7 | Pak Chang-ok | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 8 | Choe Chang-ik | Central | Old | Demoted | Member | — | — |
| 9 | Pak Ui-wan | Central | New | Demoted | Candidate | — | — |
| 10 | Jong Il-ryong | Central | Old | Reelected | Member | Member | — |
| 11 | Han Sang-du | Central | New | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 12 | Ha Ang-chon | Central | New | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 13 | Kim Hwang-il | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 14 | Pak Hun-il | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 15 | Yi Hyo-sun | Central | New | Reelected | Candidate | — | Member |
| 16 | Pak Il-yong | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 17 | Yi Il-yong | Central | New | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 18 | Han Sol-ya | Central | Old | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 19 | So Hui (North Korea) | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 20 | Yim Hae | Central | Old | Demoted | Member | — | — |
| 21 | Kim Chon-hae | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 22 | Yi Chong-ok | Central | New | Reelected | Candidate | — | — |
| 23 | Nam Il | Central | Old | Reelected | Member | — | — |
| 24 | Chong Chun-taek | Central | Old | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 25 | Chin Pan-su | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 26 | Pang Hak-se | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 27 | Kim Chang-man | Central | New | Reelected | Candidate | Member | — |
| 28 | Yu Chuk-un | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 29 | Kim Hoe-il | Central | New | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 30 | Mun Man-uk | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 31 | Chong Song-on | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 32 | Ho Song-taek | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | V. Chairman |
| 33 | Pak Mun-gyu | Central | New | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 34 | Ho Chong-suk | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 35 | Kim Sung-hwa | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 36 | Kang Yong-chang | Central | New | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 37 | Kim Kwang-hyop | Central | Old | Reelected | Member | — | — |
| 38 | Choe Hyon | Central | Old | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 39 | Choe Chang-hak | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 40 | Han Il-mu | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 41 | Yi Kwon-mu | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 42 | Yu Kyong-su | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 43 | Yi Rim | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 44 | Kim Kyong-sok | Central | Old | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 45 | Yi Yong-ho | Central | New | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 46 | Kim Chang-dok | Central | New | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 47 | Kim Yong-jin | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 48 | Hyon Chong-min | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 49 | Ko Pong-gi | Central | Candidate | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 50 | Cho Yong | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 51 | Ri Yu-min | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 52 | Song Pong-uk | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 53 | Yi Song-un | Central | Old | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 54 | Kim Tok-yong | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 55 | Kim Man-gum | Central | New | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 56 | Yi In-dong | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 57 | O Ki-sop | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 58 | Kang Chin-gon | Central | Old | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 59 | Kim Won-bong | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 60 | Choe Won-taek | Central | Old | Reelected | — | — | — |
| 61 | Ho Pin | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 62 | Han Chon-jong | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 63 | Kim Tu-sam | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 64 | Kim Sang-hyok | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 65 | Kim Ik-son | Central | New | Reelected | — | — | Chairman |
| 66 | Song Ul-su | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 67 | Kim Chik-hyong | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 68 | Yun Kong-hum | Central | New | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 69 | Pak Mu | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 70 | Kim Sang-chol | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |
| 71 | Kim Ung-gi | Central | Old | Demoted | — | — | — |

### Candidate

| Rank | Name Hangul | 2nd CC | 4th CC |
| Rank | Name Hangul | 2nd CC | 4th CC | 1 | Yu Chol-mok | New | Demoted |
| 2 | Kim Tae-gun | New | Full |
| 3 | Pak Yong-guk | New | Full |
| 4 | Kang Tok-il | New | Demoted |
| 5 | Chong Tu-hwan | New | Demoted |
| 6 | So Chun-sik | New | Demoted |
| 7 | Yang Kye | New | Demoted |
| 8 | Choe Chol-hwan | New | Demoted |
| 9 | Yi Tal-chin | New | Demoted |
| 10 | Paek Hong-gwon | New | Demoted |
| 11 | Chong Yon-pyo | New | Demoted |
| 12 | Choe Il | New | Demoted |
| 13 | Yi Chae-chon | New | Demoted |
| 14 | O Tong-uk | New | Full |
| 15 | Yi Chong-won | New | Demoted |
| 16 | Chang Ha-il | New | Demoted |
| 17 | Yi Mun-il | New | Demoted |
| 18 | Kim Hyon-bong | New | Demoted |
| 19 | Ko Hui-man | New | Demoted |
| 20 | Sok San | New | Full |
| 21 | O Chin-u | New | Full |
| 22 | Chang Pyong-san | New | Demoted |
| 23 | Choe Kwang | New | Full |
| 24 | Kim Pong-yul | New | Demoted |
| 25 | Choe Yong-jin | New | Full |
| 26 | Yi Pil-gyu | New | Demoted |
| 27 | Cho Hun | New | Demoted |
| 28 | Kim Chang-bong | New | Full |
| 29 | Choe Son-gyu | New | Demoted |
| 30 | Pak Kwang-hui | New | Demoted |
| 31 | Choe Ton-gun | New | Demoted |
| 32 | Chong Chil-song | New | Demoted |
| 33 | Yi Chi-chan | New | Candidate |
| 34 | Yi Chon-ho | New | Demoted |
| 35 | Kim Chol-u | New | Demoted |
| 36 | Yu Chol-sung | New | Demoted |
| 37 | Paek Sun-jae | New | Demoted |
| 38 | Yi Tae-hwa | New | Demoted |
| 39 | Yi Sang-jo | New | Demoted |
| 40 | So Chol | New | Demoted |
| 41 | Ho Kuk-bong | New | Demoted |
| 42 | Yi Kyu-hwan | New | Demoted |
| 43 | Yi Puk-myong | New | Full |
| 44 | Paek Nam-un | New | Full |
| 45 | Ko Kyong-in | New | Demoted |