The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) is the sole ruling party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea. Established in 1949 through a merger between the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of South Korea, it is the oldest active party in Korea. The WPK controls the Korean People's Army, North Korea's armed forces, and is the largest party represented in the Supreme People's Assembly. It coexists with two other legal parties that are entirely subservient to the WPK and must accept its "leading role" as a condition of their existence. The WPK is banned in South Korea under the National Security Act and is sanctioned by the United Nations, the European Union, Australia, and the United States. Ideologically, the WPK is officially a communist party guided by Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism, a synthesis of the ideas of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. The party is committed to Juche, an ideology attributed to Kim Il Sung, which promotes national independence and development through the efforts of the popular masses. Originally presented as the Korean interpretation of Marxism–Leninism, Juche is now framed as a freestanding philosophy. The WPK recognizes the ruling Kim family as the ultimate source of its political thought. In 2012, the fourth party conference amended the party rules to declare Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism as the "only guiding idea of the party." Under Kim Jong Il, who governed as chairman of the National Defence Commission, communism was gradually removed from party and state documents in favor of Songun, or military-first politics, establishing the military as the base of political power. However, his successor, Kim Jong Un, reversed this position in 2021, replacing Songun with "people-first politics" and reaffirming the party's commitment to communism. The WPK is organized under the Monolithic Ideological System, developed by Kim Yong-ju and Kim Jong Il. The highest formal body of the WPK is the party congress; however, before Kim Jong Un's leadership, congresses were rarely held, with none occurring between 1980 and 2016. While the WPK is structurally similar to other communist parties, in practice, it is far less institutionalized, with informal politics playing a larger role. Key institutions such as the Central Committee, the Secretariat, the Central Military Commission (CMC), the Politburo, and the Politburo's Presidium wield significantly less power than their formal roles would suggest. Kim Jong Un currently leads the party as its General Secretary.

Workers' Party of Korea - Wikipedia