President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly

The position was created on 9 September 1948 under the name Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly. The Chairman was the head of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, which was given the power to ratify or annul treaties with foreign countries, appoint or recall ambassadors to foreign countries and receive letters of credentials or recall of foreign diplomatic representatives by the 1948 Constitution. This made the Chairman of the SPA Standing Committee the de jure head of state of North Korea. Nominally, he held the second-highest state post after the Premier, Kim Il-sung

The 1972 Constitution created the post of President of North Korea, an executive post whose holder became both the de jure and de facto head of state. The post was created with Kim Il-sung in mind, and he transferred to that post. The SPA Standing Committee was removed of its powers to represent the state and was limited to doing legislative work, with the Chairman also serving as the Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly.

The 1998 revision of the 1972 Constitution created the present office of the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.[1]

According to the North Korean constitution, the President of the SPA Presidium is given the responsibility of receiving the letters of credentials and recall of foreign diplomatic representatives.

The president is also the head of the SPA Presidium, which its powers includes the ratification and annulment of treaties with foreign countries and the appointment or recall of ambassadors to foreign countries.