Kim Tok-hun

Kim Tok-hun (, born 1961) is a North Korean politician who was formerly the premier of North Korea and a full member on the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea. He is additionally a vice president of the State Affairs Commission.

Kim served as a vice premier between 2014 and 2020 and premier between 2020 and 2024. He joined the WPK Central Committee in 2016, and was later promoted to the WPK Politburo in 2019. He now serves as the head of the WPK's Economic Affairs Department.

Early life

Kim was born in 1961. Kim began his career as a floor manager and supervisor in North Korea's heavy industry sector. His first significant position was an assistant manager at the Taean Heavy Machinery Complex. He was appointed manager of Taean Heavy Machinery Complex in 2003 when the DPRK instituted its "complex enterprise system" in 2001.  Kim was elected a deputy to the 11th SPA in 2003.

Political career

Kim was previously a delegate for North-South cooperation.

Kim Tok Hun has been a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea since the 7th Congress in May 2016. He later joined the party Politburo on 11 April 2019 as an alternate member, and was promoted to full member on 31 December, and concurrently as a party vice-chairman, with a central department portfolio. He possibly earned Kim Jong Un's approval by uncovering a corruption scandal involving cadre training facilities in February 2020. In April 2020 he was also elected chairman of the Budget Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly.

Premier (2020–2024)

On 13 August 2020, in the wake of COVID-19 spillover in North Korea and floods hitting the southern part of the country, he was appointed premier of the cabinet by Kim Jong Un, and elevated to the top-level Politburo Presidium. From 2022 to December 2024, he has been the second-highest-ranking official in North Korea after Kim Jong Un. At the conclusion of the annual year-end general meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea on 27 December 2024, Kim was replaced by Pak Thae-song as premier and moved to head of the party's Economic Affairs Department.

Criticism by Kim Jong Un on Ansok tideland

In August 2023, Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, publicly voiced strong criticism of Kim Tok Hun and his cabinet for their handling of the Ansok tideland disaster following Tropical Storm Khanun in a Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) article. He alleged that the recovery efforts were inadequately organized and executed, showing a lack of urgency and commitment.

The North Korean leader expressed deep concern over the decline in administrative and economic discipline within the Cabinet stating "the administrative and economic discipline of the Kim Tok Hun Cabinet has got out of order more seriously". He attributed the inefficiencies in dealing with the crisis to this decline. Kim Jong Un criticized Kim Tok Hun for what he saw as a weak work attitude and misguided perspective regarding the Ansok tideland situation. The premier's alleged neglect of his responsibilities in the crisis was a point of significant concern with Kim Jong Un saying "...the premier looked round the site once or twice with the attitude of an onlooker and sent a vice-premier to it, who played the role of a fuel supplier only".

In his critique, Kim Jong Un hinted at the possibility of expelling the director of the Tideland Reclamation Bureau from the WPK, implying that the director may have played a role in the mishandling of the disaster.

The North Korean leader emphasized the necessity of ideological and moral reforms among government officials. He called on them to demonstrate a strong work ethic and unwavering commitment to the nation's well-being. Kim Jong Un underscored that the damage resulting from the Ansok tideland flooding was not solely a natural calamity but rather a human-induced disaster. He held accountable those who did not heed the Party's guidance and exhibited irresponsibility in their duties. Following this incident, according to a North Hamgyong resident, "administrative officials, including the People's Committee and managers of factories and institutions at all levels, are walking on eggshells".

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Government ministers of North Korea
1961 births
Living people
Date of birth missing (living people)
Place of birth missing (living people)
Prime ministers of North Korea
Vice premiers of North Korea
Members of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea
Members of the 7th Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea
Members of the 7th Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea
Members of the 8th Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea
Vice Chairmen of the Workers' Party of Korea and its predecessors

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