On 8 October 1997, Kim Jong-il was appointed to the new office of General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea in a joint announcement by the Central Committee (CC) and the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Workers' Party of Korea: " pronounce comrade Kim Jong-il as general secretary of the party, based upon the wishes of the entire People's Army, people, and the members of the party."
Pada 8 Oktober 1997, Kim Jong-il diangkat pada jabatan baru Sekretaris Jenderal Partai Buruh Korea dalam sebuah pengumuman bersama oleh Komite Pusat (KP) dan Komisi Militer Pusat (KMP) Partai Buruh Korea: " mengangkat rekan Kim Jong-il sebagai sekjen partai, berdasarkan pada harapan seluruh Angkatan Darat Rakyat, rakyat, dan para anggota partai."