Party Secretariat

The Secretariat of the Party Central Committee (CC KWP Secretariat) is responsible for managing the implementation and enforcement of the party’s decisions.  It manages the KWP’s administrative, personnel, financial and housekeeping needs through (approximately) 25 subordinate departments (also called ministries or bureaus).  Along with the Political Bureau (Politburo) and Central Control Committee, the Secretariat is one of the three power organizations subordinate to the Party Central Committee.

The Secretariat is led by its General Secretary, who is supported by party secretaries.  At the Sixth Party Congress in October 1980, one (1) General Secretary and nine (9) secretaries were elected.  As of July 2010, the Secretariat consisted of one General Secretary and five (5) secretaries.  According to the party’s bylaws the Secretariat is supposed to meet “periodically” to deliberate on party affairs.  Kim Jong Il has utilized the Secretariat (as well as the Political Bureau) to manage the KWP.

The Secretariat’s role is defined by section 26 of Chapter 3 of the KWP Charter:

26. The Secretariat of the party Central Committee periodically discusses and decides on the problems of cadres, internal problems of the party, and other tasks of the party, and supervises the execution of party decisions.