Elections in North Korea

In reply to a question put forth by Michael Marshall, Li Chun Sik of North Korea stated at a meeting of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP) of the Inter-Parliamentary Union:^[2]

While candidates could be nominated by anyone, it was the practice for all candidates to be nominated by the parties. These nominations were examined by the United Reunification Front and then by the Central Electoral Committee, which allocated candidates to seats. The candidate in each seat was then considered by the electors in meetings at the workplace or similar, and on election day the electors could then indicate approval or disapproval of the candidate on the ballot paper.

Only one candidate appears on each ballot.^[6][4] Elections are nominally conducted by secret ballot, although in practice the voting process affords no secrecy for dissent. Voting is mandatory and turnout is habitually near 100%.^[7] After elections, North Korea submits data to the United Nations on the seat breakup between the WPK and the minor parties. According to North Korea historian Fyodor Tertitskiy, this data is likely falsified as deputies are simply described as WPK members inside North Korea, without mentions of the smaller parties.^[8]

Members of the Supreme People's Assembly are elected to five-year terms, and meet for SPA sessions up to ten days per year.^[2] The Assembly in turn elects the members of the Standing Committee, which exercises legislative functions for the remainder of the year, when the Assembly is not in session. It also elects the President of the State Affairs Commission, the country's head of state and highest state office, and the premier, the country's head of government.^[9]

In 2023, the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly amended and supplemented North Korea's election law.^[10] Minju Choson, the newspaper of the cabinet and the SPA Standing Committee, stated that North Korea would implement a primary-like system in some constituencies, fielding two candidates to pick the nominee in the single-candidate main elections for People's Assemblies at every level.^[11] The candidates would be reviewed for qualifications such as loyalty and "revolutionary mindset".^[10] Previously, the candidates were solely picked by the WPK, and this change would mark the first competitive elections in North Korea since 1948.^[12] The local elections would also drop using the voting system where the voter would cross off the candidate's name to vote against them, switching to using two different colored ballot boxes for “yes” and “no” votes.^[13]

The elections have been variously described as show elections or a political census.^[17][18] Seats are uncompetitive as all candidates are chosen by the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea.^[3][2][4] Because of the near 100% turnout, elections double as unofficial censuses. The inminban neighborhood watch-style organization reportedly watches the elections to identify and investigate no-shows.^[7]

South Korean news reporter, Dae Young-kim, claims that there are separate boxes for "no" votes, where "nobody dared to put his or her ballot".^[19] According to Roger Cavazos, a retired US army lieutenant-colonel, voting against the official candidate, or refusing to vote at all, is considered an act of treason, and those who do face the loss of their jobs and housing, along with extra surveillance.^[19][20] Several North Korean defectors have corroborated the danger voting against the official candidate or abstaining from voting supposes.^{[21][22][23][24][25][26]}

• Politics of North Korea
• List of political parties in North Korea