Premier of North Korea

The Premier of the Cabinet (Chosŏn'gŭl: 총리; Hancha: 總理; MR: Chongni) is nominally the non-executive head of government of North Korea. He is commonly known in the English-speaking world as Prime Minister of North Korea.

Originally, under the 1948 Constitution of the DPRK, the prime minister was a very important post and held actual power over the government. Kim Il-sung himself inaugurated the post, keeping it for 24 years until 1972, while the ceremonial role of the head of State rested in the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly.

The 1972 Constitution created the post of President of the DPRK for Kim Il-sung, transferring to it all the paramount power. The prime minister was now the head of the Administration Council, but most of the powers of the former cabinet were passed to the Central People's Committee, the highest ruling council chaired by the president himself. The first prime minister after Kim Il-sung was his long-time ally Kim Il. The post was then officially known as Premier of the Administration Council (관리위원회의 프리미어, Gwanli wiwonhoe ui peulimieo).

After Kim Il-sung died, the post of president remained vacant (officially Kim Il-sung was proclaimed Eternal President) as Kim Jong-il planned a new State reorganization. A constitution revision in 1998 abolished both the Central People's Committee and the Administration Council, re-creating the Cabinet.

The prime minister represents and oversees the cabinet, which is charged with executing the policies decided by the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. The office has no policy-making authority of its own.