The title of supreme leader (Korean: 최고령도자; MR: Ch'oego Ryŏngdoja) of North Korea generally refers to the de facto hereditary leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea, the state and the Korean People's Army. Each individual North Korean leader have assumed different offices and positions, and different titles were used in North Korean propaganda that could be translated from Korean as "Great Leader", "Dear Leader", or "Supreme Leader". For full list of titles used, see the lists of titles of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un.
"Supreme Leader" was originally a designation used for Kim Il Sung only, and only after his death.[1] During his lifetime he was known as "Great Leader" (위대한 수령), a title to this day that only refers to him.[1] His son, Kim Jong Il, was known as "Dear Leader" (친애하는 령도자) during his lifetime, and only after death did North Korean media begin calling him "Supreme Leader", in the tradition of his father.[1] The grandson, Kim Jong Un, was first called "Supreme Leader" in a North Korean newspaper article dated October 3, 2020, with the frequency increasing since then, including sometimes "great Supreme Leader".[1] He was the first to be frequently called "Supreme Leader" while still alive, and at the relatively young age of 37.[1] The 2020 newspaper article was part of the official preparations to appoint Kim Jong Un as the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea ie. leader of the Workers' Party, the sole political body in the country and the paramount leader position.[1][2] Since November 2021, South Korean media have all reported that Kim Jong Un is called "Supreme Leader" (Suryeong) in North Korea.[1]
Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, attended the ceremony.
the Korean Workers Party, under the chairmanship of Kim Il-sung, was formed on June 24, 1949, as the result of a merger between the North Korean Workers Party and the South Korean Workers Party
The chairmanship post was replaced by the office of the general secretary at the Fourteenth Plenum of the WPK Fourth Central Committee (CC) on October 12, 1966, and Kim has been the WPK's general secretary ever since
The governing Workers' Party ... declared Mr. Kim "supreme leader" on Wednesday and awarded him the title of first secretary.
Kim Jong Un, who has been first secretary of the ruling party, became chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea
Per note at end of NYT article: 'An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the day on which North Korea had elevated Kim Jong-un to chairman of the Workers' Party's central military commission and granted him membership in the Politburo and its presidium. It was on Wednesday (11 April), not Thursday (12 April).'
The Assembly revised North Korea's Constitution to create what the state media called a Commission on State Affairs, with Mr. Kim as its chairman. It replaces the National Defense Commission.
The major organizational change announced at the 7th Party Congress was the reinstatement of the WPK chairmanship, to which Kim Jong Un was elected
Titles throughout all party levels were changed from "chairman" to three levels of "secretary".
Kim Jong Un was elected as general secretary of the party. This is remarkable, considering that on April 11, 2012, Kim Jong Il had been named the "eternal general secretary".