If you search for the "President of North Korea" on Google, you’re actually asking a trick question. It’s one of those weird quirks of international politics that sounds like a dry trivia fact but actually explains everything about how that country works.
Most of us just say "Kim Jong Un." And yeah, he’s the guy. He’s the one meeting with world leaders, inspecting missile silos, and appearing in every state-sponsored photo op. But technically? He isn't the President.
Honestly, nobody is.
The President of North Korea: A Title Held by a Dead Man
North Korea is the world's only "necrocracy." That’s a fancy way of saying it’s ruled by a deceased person. Back in 1994, when the nation's founder Kim Il Sung passed away, the government didn't just move on to a new president. They decided to keep him.
In 1998, the constitution was amended to declare Kim Il Sung the "Eternal President of the Republic." It's a bizarre setup. Because the office is permanently occupied by a man who has been dead for over thirty years, no living person can ever hold the title of President again. If you see someone referred to as the President of North Korea in a news report, they’re either being informal or they’re technically incorrect.
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Kim Jong Un has plenty of other titles to make up for it. He’s the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and the President of the State Affairs Commission (SAC). That SAC title is basically the "Head of State" role, but they’re very careful not to use the specific word "President" in the way Westerners expect.
Who is Kim Jong Un and how does he actually rule?
Kim Jong Un took over in late 2011. He was young—likely in his late 20s—and many experts thought the old-guard generals would walk all over him. They were wrong.
He consolidated power faster than almost anyone anticipated. He didn't just inherit a throne; he rebuilt it. By reviving the Workers' Party as the central hub of power, he shifted influence away from the military elites who had gained too much ground under his father, Kim Jong Il.
The Power Structure in 2026
As of January 2026, Kim’s grip on the country remains absolute. He oversees a system where every major decision—from nuclear tests to agricultural policy—goes through him.
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But it’s not a one-man show in the way movies depict it. He relies on a tight inner circle. You’ve probably heard of his sister, Kim Yo Jong. She’s often the "bad cop" in diplomatic statements, issuing scathing critiques of Seoul or Washington. Then there’s Choe Ryong Hae, who heads the Supreme People's Assembly. Choe is technically the one who receives credentials from foreign ambassadors, acting as the ceremonial face of the government.
The Rise of the "Respected Daughter"
Recently, the world has been fixated on someone new: Kim Ju Ae. She’s Kim Jong Un’s daughter, believed to be around 13 or 14 years old. In late 2025 and leading into 2026, she has been appearing at major military banquets and missile launches.
State media has started calling her "Person of Guidance." That’s a massive deal. In the North Korean political lexicon, that specific term has historically been reserved for the Supreme Leader and the person chosen to follow him. While Kim Jong Un is only in his early 40s, the regime is clearly already "future-proofing" the bloodline.
Why the distinction matters for you
Why should you care if he's called "General Secretary" instead of "President"?
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Because it tells you about the regime's legitimacy. They don't rule because of an election or a mandate from the living. They rule because of a "revolutionary bloodline" (the Paektu bloodline) that links back to the "Eternal President."
If you’re trying to understand North Korean diplomacy or even just follow the news, remember these three things:
- The title "President" is a memorial. It belongs to the grandfather.
- Kim Jong Un is the "Supreme Leader." This is the functional title that grants him command over the party, state, and army.
- Succession is the new big story. The presence of his daughter suggests the family isn't planning on going anywhere for the next fifty years.
If you want to stay truly informed about North Korean leadership, stop looking for a "President" and start watching the State Affairs Commission. That is where the actual executive power lives. Keeping an eye on who sits on that commission—and who gets purged from it—is the only real way to track who's actually in charge in Pyongyang.
Check official government portals or academic trackers like North Korea Leadership Watch for the most recent roster changes, as the "churn" of high-level officials is how Kim ensures no one ever gets powerful enough to challenge him.