The position was first established as the Chief Secretary of the North Korea Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea on 13 October 1945 during the conference of Communist Party of Korea members in northern Korea. Kim Yong-bom was elected as the first chief secretary. He was succeeded by Kim Il-sung, who was elected as chief secretary on 18 December 1945 at the third enlarged executive committee meeting of the North Korea Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea. On 28 August 1946, the North Korean Bureau of the Communist Party of Korea and the New People’s Party of Korea were merged to form the Workers’ Party of North Korea during its 1st Congress. The position of Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of North Korea was also created to lead the new party. Kim Tu-bong, the chairman of the New People’s Party of Korea, was elected as the chairman and was re-elected in March 1948 during the 2nd Congress. On 30 June 1949, the Workers’ Party of North Korea and the Workers’ Party of South Korea merged to form the Workers’ Party of Korea. The position of Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea was also created. Kim Il-sung, who was a vice chairman of the WPNK central committee, was elected as chairman and was re-elected in April 1956 during the 3rd WPK Congress and in September 1961 during the 4th WPK Congress. On 12 October 1966, the position of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea was created at the 14th plenary meeting of the 4th WPK Central Committee. Kim Il-sung was elected by the meeting as general secretary and was re-elected in November 1970 at the 5th WPK Congress and in October 1980 at the 6th WPK Congress. Kim Il-sung held the position of general secretary until his death on 8 July 1994. Following this, the post was left vacant until 1997. From late September until early October 1997, conferences of various WPK organizations were held to recommend the election of Kim Jong-il as general secretary. Kim Jong-il is the designated successor of Kim Il-sung. At that point, Kim Jong-il held the party positions of Political Bureau Presidium member and WPK central committee secretary. On 8 October 1997, the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission issued a special communique stating that Kim Jong-il was elected to the position of General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. On 28 September 2010, Kim Jong-il was re-elected as WPK general secretary at the 3rd WPK Conference. The conference also amended the Charter of the Workers’ Party of Korea to state that the WPK general secretary is the ex officio Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea. Kim Jong-il died on 17 December 2011 and the position of general secretary was left vacant. The WPK held its 4th Conference on 11 April 2012. It declared Kim Jong-il as the eternal General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. The WPK Charter was revised to create the First Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea as the new highest party position. Kim Jong-un was elected as first secretary on 11 April 2012 during the 4th WPK Conference. Kim Jong-un is the designated successor of Kim Jong-il. Prior to his election as WPK first secretary, Kim Jong-un held the party positions of Central Military Commission vice chairman and Central Committee member. On 9 May 2016, the 7th WPK Congress created the Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea as the new highest party position. Kim Jong-un was elected by the congress as the WPK chairman.
