Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea

	Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea
Chosŏn'gŭl	조국통일민주주의전선
Hancha	祖國統一民主主義戰線
Revised Romanization	Joguk tong(-)il minju juui jeonseon
McCune–Reischauer	Choguk t'ongil minju chuŭi chŏnsŏn

Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea
Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea; 조국통일민주주의전선; Choguk T'ongil Minju Chuŭi Chŏnsŏn
Supreme Leader	Kim Jong-un
President and Secretary General	Pak Myong-chol
Founder	Kim Il-sung
Founded	22 July 1946
Headquarters	Pyongyang
Ideology	Juche; Songun
Supreme People's Assembly	687 / 687
	Politics of North Korea; Political parties; Elections;

The Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea, also known as the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, DFRF, or the Fatherland Front, formed on 22 July 1946,[1] is a North Korean popular front led by the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). It was initially called the North Korean Fatherland United Democratic Front.[2]

Initially 72 parties and social organizations,[3] from both the North and the South, comprised the front.[4] Today it has 24 members.[3] The three political parties of North Korea—the WPK, the Korean Social Democratic Party, and the Chondoist Chongu Party—all participate in the front.[5] The four most important mass organizations—the Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League, Socialist Women's Union of Korea, General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea, and Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea—are also members.[6][7] The Korean Children's Union is also a member organization.[8]

All candidates for elective office must be members of the front, and are elected by it; mass meetings are held to decide which candidates will be nominated and their names can go on the ballot paper only with the approval of the meeting.[9] In practice, however, the minor parties and mass organizations in the front are completely subservient to the WPK.[10] The WPK is thus able to predetermine the composition of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA).

There is an ostensible South Korean counterpart for the DFRF, known as the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front, which operates in North Korea.

The current President and Secretary General of the Central Committee of the DFRF is Pak Myong-chol.[11] Other people on its presidium include Ri Kil-song and Kim Wan-su.[12]

Members

Political parties

	Ideology	Foundation	Seats in the SPA (2014)	Ref
Workers' Party of Korea 조선로동당 Chosŏn Rodongdang	Juche Songun	29 July 1946	607 / 687	[13][14]
Korean Social Democratic Party 조선사회민주당 Chosŏn Sahoe Minjudang	Social democracy (de jure)	3 November 1945	50 / 687	[15][14]
Chondoist Chongu Party 천도교청우당 Ch'ŏndogyo Ch'ŏngudang	Chondoist interests	18 February 1946	22 / 687	[16][14]
Chongryon[lower-alpha 1] 총련	Zainichi interests	30 March 1950	6 / 687	[17]

Chongryon is not a political party but sends members to the Supreme People's Assembly to represent the organisation as part of the Democratic Front.

Other organizations

Organization	Korean name	Foundation	Ref
Kimilsungist-Kimjongilist Youth League	김일성-김정일주의청년동맹	17 January 1946	[18]
Socialist Women's Union of Korea	조선사회주의녀성동맹	18 November 1945	[19]
General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea	조선직업총동맹	30 November 1945	[20]
Union of Agricultural Workers of Korea	조선농업근로자동맹	31 January 1946	[20]
Korean Children's Union	조선소년단	6 June 1946	[21]
Korean Journalists' Union	조선기자동맹	10 February 1946	[22][23]
Korean Federation of Literature and Arts	조선문학예술총동맹	25 March 1946	[22][24]
Korean Christian Federation	조선그리스도교연맹	28 November 1946	[25][26]
Korean Catholic Association	조선카톨릭교협회	30 June 1988	[27][28]
Korea Buddhist Federation	조선불교도련맹	26 December 1945	[27][29]
Chosun Cheondogyo Central Guidance Committee	조선천도교중앙지도위원회	1 February 1946	[27][30]

Electoral history

Supreme People's Assembly elections

Election	%	Seats	+/–	Position	Government
1948	98.49%	572 / 572	572	1st	Sole legal coalition
1957	99.92%	215 / 215	357	1st	Sole legal coalition
1962	100%	383 / 383	168	1st	Sole legal coalition
1967	100%	457 / 457	74	1st	Sole legal coalition
1972	100%	541 / 541	84	1st	Sole legal coalition
1977	100%	579 / 579	38	1st	Sole legal coalition
1982	100%	615 / 615	36	1st	Sole legal coalition
1986	100%	655 / 655	40	1st	Sole legal coalition
1990	100%	687 / 687	32	1st	Sole legal coalition
1998	100%	687 / 687		1st	Sole legal coalition
2003	100%	687 / 687		1st	Sole legal coalition
2009	100%	687 / 687		1st	Sole legal coalition
2014	100%	687 / 687		1st	Sole legal coalition
2019	100%	687 / 687		1st	Sole legal coalition

References

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조국통일민주주의전선(祖國統一民主主義戰線). Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
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조국통일민주주의전선. North Korea Information Portal (in Korean). Ministry of Unification. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
Hoare, James (2012). Historical Dictionary of Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. p. xxix. ISBN 978-0-8108-6151-0.
<통일부 수탁과제 최종보고서> 북한개요 개정판 (in Korean). 통일부. 24 December 2008. p. 49. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
Kwon Oh-guk (2013). "script-ko:조선카톨릭협회(朝鮮카톨릭協會)". Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Retrieved 31 January 2021.
Ryu Gil-jae (2009). 조선불교도연맹(朝鮮佛敎徒聯盟). encykorea.aks.ac.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 31 January 2021.
Kwon Oh-guk (2013). 조선천도교중앙지도위원회(朝鮮天道敎中央指導委員會). Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Retrieved 31 January 2021.

Works cited

North Korea Handbook. Seoul: Yonhap News Agency. 2002. ISBN 978-0-7656-3523-5.