Kim Tok-hun has been a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea since the 7th Congress in May 2016. He later joined the party Politburo on 11 April 2019 as an alternate member, then he was promoted to full member on 31 December, and concurrently as a party vice-chairman, with a portfolio that included heading the Cadre Affairs Department. He possibly earned Kim Jong-un's approval uncovering a corruption scandal involving cadre training facilities in February of the next year. In April 2020 he was also elected chairman of the Budget Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly.