President of the State Affairs Commission

The President of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, alternatively styled President of State Affairs in official translations, is the supreme leader and head of state of North Korea. The president chairs the State Affairs Commission (SAC), which is the highest leadership institution in North Korea, and serves as the commander-in-chief of the North Korean armed forces.

The office was first established as the chairman of the National Defence Commission in 1972; at that time, the National Defence Commission was a commission subordinate to the Central People's Committee, and the president of North Korea served as the chairman of the National Defence Commission. Kim Il Sung served as the NDC Chairman in his capacity as state president. In 1992, the office was separated from the presidency, while the NDC became a separate institution from the Central People's Committee. Kim Jong Il became the NDC Chairman. The powers of the office were further expanded in 1994, which also oversaw the abolition of the office of president. After Kim Jong Il's death in 2011, the office was renamed to the first chairman, which was assumed by Kim Jong Un. In 2016, the State Affairs Commission replaced the National Defence Commission, with Kim Jong Un becoming the SAC Chairman.

The North Korean constitution gives the president the power to lead the overall affairs of the state and appoint important state officials. The president also has the power to appoint diplomatic representatives and conclude treaties with other countries. The president can declare a state of emergency, a state of war or a mobilization order and direct the country's national defence during times of war. The president also has absolute control over North Korea's nuclear arsenal. The president of the State Affairs is elected by the Supreme People's Assembly. The position is held by the general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), who leads the ruling political party of North Korea and serves as the supreme leader of North Korea. The term of the president is the same as that of the Supreme People's Assembly and has no term limits. The current president is Kim Jong Un, who took office on 29 June 2016 and was re-elected on 11 April 2019.