Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of North Korea 북조선로동당 중앙위원회 위원장 Chairman Term Election Kim Tu-bong 김두봉 1889–1958 31 August 1946 30 March 1948 1st Central Committee 30 March 1948 30 June 1949 2nd Central Committee Chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea 조선로동당 중앙위원회 위원장 Chairman Term Election Kim Il-sung 김일성 1912–1994 30 June 1949 29 April 1956 2nd Central Committee 29 April 1956 18 September 1961 3rd Central Committee 18 September 1961 12 October 1966 4th Central Committee General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea 조선로동당 중앙위원회 총비서 General Secretary Term Election Kim Il-sung 김일성 1912–1994 12 October 1966 13 November 1970 4th Central Committee 13 November 1970 14 October 1980 5th Central Committee 14 October 1980 8 July 1994 6th Central Committee Vacant (8 July 1994–8 October 1997) General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea 조선로동당 총비서 General Secretary Term Election Kim Jong-il 김정일 1941–2011 8 October 1997 28 September 2010 6th Central Committee 28 September 2010 17 December 2011 Vacant (17 December 2011–11 April 2012) First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea 조선로동당 제1비서 First Secretary Term Election Kim Jong-un 김정은 born 1983 11 April 2012 9 May 2016 6th Central Committee Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea 조선로동당 위원장 Chairman Term Election Kim Jong-un 김정은 born 1983 9 May 2016 Present 7th Central Committee