North Korea convened the Supreme People's Assembly to reelect Kim Jong-un as Chairperson of the State Affairs Commission and replaced Choe Ryong-hae with Jo Yong-won as chairperson of the standing committee of the Supreme People's Assembly.
Korean Central News Agency reported on the 23rd that "the first-day session of the 1st meeting of the 15th Supreme People's Assembly was held on the 22nd," and that "Comrade Kim Jong-un was once again highly elected as Chairperson of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
Under North Korea's socialist constitution, the State Affairs Commission is defined as the highest policy leadership organ of state sovereignty. The Chairperson of the State Affairs Commission holds the status of the nation's top leader representing the state. After being elected as Chairperson of the State Affairs Commission, which was newly established in June 2016, Kim Jong-un rose again through this meeting following 2019.
Party secretary Ri Il-hwan, in the process of formally proposing the election of the Chairperson of the State Affairs Commission, said, "The greatness of Kim Jong-un is the supreme national strength of this 'Joseon (North Korea),'" and added, "We admire, follow, and worship him so much."
This meeting also carried out a replacement of the chairperson of the standing committee, the head of the Supreme People's Assembly. Choe Ryong-hae, who had been excluded from the lists of party central committee members and deputies after the 9th Party Congress last month, stepped down, and Jo Yong-won, Kim Jong-un's closest confidant, took the post.
For the vice chairperson posts of the standing committee, Ri Son-gwon, former Director General of Bureau 10 of the Labor Party who oversaw inter-Korean affairs for a long time, and Kim Hyeong-sik, who served as party Ministry of Justice chief, were newly named. In the Cabinet appointments, while Prime Minister Park Tae-seong remained in office, Kim Tok-hun, former premier, was appointed to the newly created first vice premier position.
Notably, the Second Economic Commission, which is in charge of planning and producing munitions, was transferred under the Cabinet, drawing attention. Although the chairperson's full name was not disclosed, reorganizing so that the Cabinet oversees even the munitions sector is analyzed as a move to further strengthen the Cabinet responsibility system across the economy.
Appointments for members of the State Affairs Commission were also made. Standing committee chairperson Jo Yong-won will concurrently serve as first vice chairperson of the State Affairs Commission. Kim Yo-jong, a party Director General who had been a member of the State Affairs Commission, was excluded from the commission list in this personnel reshuffle.
At this first meeting, along with revisions and supplements to the socialist constitution, agenda items included carrying out the five-year national economic development plan presented at the party congress, the settlement of account of the 2025 state budget execution, and the 2026 state budget bill. However, the detailed resolutions were not disclosed externally.