North Korea hints at restoring presidential system for Kim Jong Un

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may assume the title of “President,” a designation last held by his grandfather and state founder Kim Il Sung, as part of a possible revival of the presidential system, observers say.

The US-based North Korea–focused outlet 38 North reported that Pyongyang may be preparing to restore the post of president, potentially around the forthcoming Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea and a subsequent session of the Supreme People’s Assembly.

According to the report, indications of an institutional shift have emerged since September 2024, when North Korean authorities began referring to Kim Jong Un as the “head of state.” In a statement issued that month, Kim Yo Jong, a vice department director of the Workers’ Party of Korea, used the phrase “independent intelligence agency directly under the head of state.” During the same period, state media covering a session of the Supreme People’s Assembly reported that “the head of state delivered an important speech.”

Given North Korea’s traditionally cautious and deliberate handling of leadership titles, 38 North assessed the change in terminology as more than a rhetorical adjustment. The outlet argued that the wording likely signals impending institutional reform. Notably, the term “head of state” corresponds to the constitutional definition of the “President of the Republic,” a position Kim Il Sung held until his death in 1994.

Under the 1972 revised constitution, Article 89 defined the President of the Republic as the “head of state.” However, following Kim Il Sung’s death, the Supreme People’s Assembly amended the constitution in September 1998, abolishing the presidential system. Kim Jong Il subsequently governed not as president but as Chairman of the National Defence Commission and General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

The version of the North Korean constitution made public in 2023 defines Kim Jong Un’s current role as President of the State Affairs Commission as the “supreme leader of the Republic.” While the constitution was revised again during Supreme People’s Assembly sessions in October 2024 and January 2025, Pyongyang has not disclosed which specific provisions were amended.

Analysts note that North Korea often delays revealing details of sensitive constitutional changes, raising the possibility that adjustments to Kim Jong Un’s legal status have already been codified. The increasing use of the title “head of state” is widely viewed as reflecting further centralization of power and the continued elevation of Kim’s personality cult.

If the presidential system is reinstated and Kim Jong Un assumes the title of president, analysts say North Korea’s policy-making framework and future succession arrangements would likely be reshaped. Some suggest the State Affairs Commission could gain additional prominence, while the role of the Workers’ Party’s Political Bureau meetings may be comparatively diminished.

By Vafa Guliyeva