Central Military Commission (DPRK)

The Central Military Commission of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (CMC) is an organ of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) which is responsible for coordinating the Party organizations within the Korean People's Army (KPA). One of the CMC’s primary functions is to authorize defense and munitions spending and product orders, and to determine how natural resources and products from military-controlled production units are earmarked and distributed domestically and for sale abroad. According to the WPK Charter, the CMC directs WPK activities in the KPA and is chaired by the WPK First Secretary. The CMC relies on a number of organizations to carry out its mandate, including the KPA General Political Department, the WPK Military Department, and the WPK Machine-Building Department. The CMC also uses the WPK Military Affairs Department to transmit guidance and indoctrination of North Korea's reserve military training units.

It was chaired by Kim Il-sung from its establishment in 1950 until his own death in 1994. Currently, its chairman is Kim Jong-un, who took over the post in acting capacity after the death of his father Kim Jong-il on 17 December 2011 and formally assumed the title on 11 April 2012.

The CMC lost authority in favor of the National Defence Commission, though its importance was re-asserted at the September 2010 Party Conference. At the conference, Kim Jong-il's son Kim Jong-un was elected vice-chairman (first in order of importance despite not being a Vice Marshal nor a Politburo member), with the other vice-chairman being Ri Yong-ho, the Chief of the Korean People's Army General Staff, who served till his 2012 dismissal from military service.

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