| 조선로동당 중앙군사위원회 | |
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| Agency overview | |
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| Jurisdiction | |
| Agency executives |
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| Parent agency | Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea |
TheCentral Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (CMC) (Korean: 조선로동당 중앙군사위원회) is an organ of theCentral Committee of theWorkers' Party of Korea (WPK) which heads theKorean People's Army (KPA).
One of the CMC's primary functions is to authorize defense andmunitions spending and product orders, and to determine how natural resources and products frommilitary-controlled production units are earmarked and distributed domestically and for sale abroad. According to theWPK rules, the CMC directs WPK activities in the KPA and is chaired by theWPK General Secretary. The CMC relies on a number of organizations to carry out its mandate, including theKPA General Political Bureau, the WPK Military Government Guidance Department, and the WPK Munitions Industry Department (aka Defense Industry Department).
The Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea was established at the 5th plenary meeting of the 4th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea held on 10–14 December 1962.[1][2] During its establishment, it was a committee subordinate to the WPK Central Committee under the full nameMilitary Committee of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
The committee was organized to its present form at the 6th plenary meeting of the 6th WPK Central Committee held on 29–31 August 1982.[3] An amendment to the WPK charter in 1982 is believed to have made the CMC equal to the Central Committee, enabling it (among other things) to elect the WPK leader.[4] The last public listing of the CMC was at the 21st Plenary Session of the 6th Central Committee in December 1993.[5] By the 3rd Conference, seven of its nineteen 1993 members remained; the other twelve had either died, retired or were purged.[5]
The CMC was revitalized at the 3rd Conference in 2010, with Kim Jong Un and Ri Yong-ho elected as deputy chairmen.[5] Except for his Central Committee membership, this was Kim Jong Un's only title at this time; in many ways, the CMC enabled him to develop a patronage network.[5] New members included Vice MarshalKim Yong-chun (Minister of People's Armed Forces), GeneralKim Myong-ruk (Chief of theOperation Bureau of the General Staff), GeneralRi Pyong-chol (Commander of theKorean People's Air Force), AdmiralJong Myong-do (Commander of theKorean People's Navy), Lieutenant GeneralKim Yong-chol, Colonel GeneralChoe Kyong-song (heads of the KPA's special forces) GeneralChoe Pu-il and Colonel GeneralChoe Sang-ryo (members of the General Staff).[5] Civilians, such as Jang Song-thaek (head of the Administrative Department), also had seats on the commission.[5] However, the overall authority of the CMC was diluted; it was stripped of its authority to command the KPA.[6]
At the 4th Conference, Choe Ryong-hae was appointed CMC deputy chairman; Vice MarshalHyon Chol-hae, GeneralRi Myong-su andKim Rak-gyom were elected to the commission.[citation needed] Kim Jong Un oversaw the CMC regaining its former power, aiming to bring the KPA firmly under party control; the8th WPK Congress held in 2021 oversaw the CMC being upgraded to "the party’s supreme institution on military guidance", as well as granting it "command over the armed forces of the republic".[6]
According to therules of the WPK, the CMC is "the party’s supreme institution on military guidance" and has the authority to "command over the armed forces of the republic".[6] The rules also state thatWPK General Secretary is chairman of the CMCex officio.[7]
As of 10 January 2021[update], the Central Military Commission consists of the chairman, vice chairman, and 11 members.
| Chairman | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Other positions |
| Marshal of the DPRK Kim Jong Un 김정은 (born 1984) | |
| Vice Chairman | |
| Vice Chairman | Other positions |
| Marshal of the KPA Ri Pyong-chol 리병철 (born 1948) |
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| Vice Marshal of the KPA Ri Yong-gil 리영길 | |
| Members | |
| Member | Other positions |
| Colonel General Jo Yong-won 조용원 | |
| Colonel General O Il-jong 오일정 (born 1954) |
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| Kim Jo-guk 김조국 |
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| General Kang Sun-nam 강순남 |
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| O Su-yong 오수용 (born 1944) |
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| Marshal of the KPA Pak Jong-chon 박정천 |
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| Colonel General Kwon Yong-jin 권영진 |
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| General Kim Jong-gwan 김정관 |
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| Colonel General Jong Kyong-thaek 정경택 (born 1961) |
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| General Rim Kwang-il 림광일 (born 1965) |
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| Active forces | |
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| Paramilitary and reserve forces | |
| Senior leadership | |
| History |
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