Rules of the Workers' Party of Korea (1956)

1. The Workers' Party of Korea is a vanguard, organized detachment of the working class and all the toiling masses of our country.

The Workers' Party of Korea represents the interests of the Korean nation and the Korean people.

The Workers' Party of Korea is organized with progressive fighters from among the entire working people — workers, peasants and intellectuals, who champion the interests of the toiling masses.

The Workers' Party of Korea is guided in its activities by the theory of Marxism-Leninism.

The Workers' Party of Korea is the successor of the revolutionary tradition of the Korean people who fought for national independence and liberation of our country, against the Japanese and other colonialists.

The immediate aim of the Workers' Party of Korea lies in carrying out the tasks of anti-imperialist, anti-feudal democratic revolution on a nation-wide scale, and its ultimate aim in building a communist society.

The Workers' Party of Korea struggles for the liberation of the southern half of our country from the American imperialist aggressive forces and the internal reactionary rule, and for the attainment of the complete unification of the country on a democratic basis by firmly uniting the broad popular masses of North and South Korea around itself, and by strengthening the united front with the patriotic, democratic forces of all walks of life in Korea on the basis of the alliance of workers and peasants.

The Workers' Party of Korea successfully carries on the building of socialism in the northern half of our country by consolidating the people's democratic system, strives for an incessant growth of production and the improvement of the material and cultural life of the people, and accelerates the unification of the country by politically and economically strengthening the democratic base.

The Workers' Party of Korea struggles for training the Party members and the toiling masses in the spirit of patriotism and proletarian internationalism, for consolidating the internationalist solidarity of the Korean people with the peoples of the great Soviet Union, China and other People's Democracies as well as with the toiling people of all countries, for intensifying friendship with all nations which support the unification and independence of our country and with all peace-loving peoples, and for lasting peace in Asia and the world.

2. All working people who are Korean citizens, who accept the Party Programme and Rules, fight for the realization of them, earnestly work in a definite organization of the Party, actively carry out decisions of the Party, and pay prescribed membership dues, may become members of the Workers' Party of Korea.

3. It is the duty of the Party member:

a) to actively fight for the unification and independence of the country and for the consolidation, expansion and development of the people's democratic system;

b) to fight for the preservation of the ideological and organizational unity of the Party;

c) to strive persistently to study the theory of Marxism-Leninism and raise his (her) ideological, political and cultural standards;

d) to become an active champion who is genuinely loyal to the Party, upholds the political line and policy of the Party and takes the initiative in carrying out Party decisions and assignments;

e) to strengthen the bonds of kinship with the toiling masses, constantly explain the Party policy to them, give heed to their voice, meet their requirements in good time, learn from them and train them;

f) to earnestly take part in the work of political, economic and cultural construction in the northern half of the Republic, be well versed in the work assigned, strive to raise the level of technique and skill, become a model in labour, fight for the growth of labour productivity and the intensification of labour discipline, and actively endeavour to protect and multiply the state and co-operative property;

g) to consciously observe the single Party discipline equally applicable to all Party members irrespective of their position and merit;

h) to develop criticism and self-criticism, above all criticism from below, fight against all negative phenomena prejudicial to the interests of the Party, and to be frank before the Party; to be bound in duty to report to the Party bodies of all levels up to the Central Committee on all shortcomings in the work;

i) to strictly keep the secrets of the Party, and always and everywhere hold high political vigilance.

4. It is the right of the Party member:

a) to take part in free and practical discussions on the Party policy and the work at Party meetings or in the Party press;

b) to elect and be elected to Party leading bodies at all levels;

c) to criticize any Party member at Party meetings, when there are due reason and ground;

d) to demand personal participation in Party meetings, at which discussions are made and decisions taken regarding his (her) activities and work;

e) to request the Party bodies at all levels up to the Central Committee of the Party to consider the petition he (she) presented on any question.

5. Members of the Workers' Party of Korea are recruited from among the probationer members who have passed through the specified probationary term.

One may join the Party on reaching the age of 18.

Admission to the Party shall be conducted by an individual enrollment, and its procedure is as follows:

a) one, who is desirous of joining the Party, submits to the primary Party organization concerned the written application and recommendations of two Party members who have a Party standing of more than one year and know him (her) well.

Under special circumstances, one may submit to the primary Party organization recommendations of two Party members, who know him (her) well, irrespective of the Party standing of the recommenders or the application for admission without going through the probationary term.

In case of the admission of a member of the Korean Democratic Youth League, the recommendation of the city, district or county Democratic Youth League committee can stand for the recommendation of a Party member.

A member or alternate member of the Central Committee of the Party shall refrain from giving recommendation.

The recommender is responsible to the Party for his (her) bona fides;

b) the admission to the Party shall be discussed and decided upon at the general meeting of the primary Party organization with the participation of the applicant, and the decision becomes effective when endorsed by the city, district or county Party committee. The presence of the recommenders at the discussion of the admission is not essential;

c) admission to the Party or a person who has seceded from another party requires recommendations of three Party members with no less than two years of Party standing.

Admission to the Party of an ordinary member of it shall be finally endorsed by the city, district or county Party committee, that of one who was a member or a cadre of a city, district or county-level committee of it by a provincial Party committee, and that of one who was a member or a cadre of the central or provincial-level committee of it by the Central Committee of the Party.

6. Admission (of a probationer member to full membership) dates from the day when the general meeting of the primary Party organization decided thereon.

7. When a member of a Party organization removes to another, he (she) shall be entered on the membership rolls of the latter.

The transfer of a Party member shall be effected in accordance with the regulations laid down by the Central Committee of the Party.

8. A Party member who, despite repeated warnings, has failed for three months in succession to pay membership dues and participate in Party life with no due reason, shall be regarded as being automatically removed from the Party ranks. The primary Party organization must adopt an appropriate decision thereon, and have it endorsed by the city, district or county Party committee.

9. Formation of a faction within the Party, which undermines the unity and solidarity of the Party and weakens its militancy, cannot be tolerated. A Party member who violates the Party Programme and Rules, forms a faction within the Party in opposition to the political line of the Party, deceives the Party, becomes demoralized or compromises with the enemy, and thus seriously prejudices the Party shall be expelled from the Party.

10. To a Party member who has committed not so grave a mistake as to be deprived of the title of a Party member, as measures for giving him (her) the possibility to rectify his (her) mistake, penalties may be applied in the form of reprimand, warning or suspension of rights according to the gravity of the mistake.

11. The aim of Party penalties lies in educating the Party member who has committed the mistake. In making decisions on the application of Party penalties, especially of expulsion, maximum caution and comradely consideration shall be exercised, and the primary causes of the mistake shall be thoroughly investigated.

12. Penalties to be applied to a Party member shall in principle be discussed and decided upon, with his (her) participation, at the general meeting of the primary Party organization to which he (she) belongs. Decision of the primary Party organization on the penalty of the suspension of rights becomes effective, only when finally endorsed by the city, district or county Party committee, and that of the expulsion, only when finally endorsed by the provincial Party committee. Prior to the final endorsement of the expulsion, the membership card shall not be withdrawn from the person penalized by the primary Party organization, and he (she) is entitled to attend the Party meetings, except in special cases.

13. The primary Party organization cannot directly apply Party penalties to members and alternate members of the Central Committee of the Party, nor to members and alternate members of the provincial, city, district or county Party committee. But, when a member or an alternate member of the Party committee of higher level violates Party discipline, the primary Party organization may submit to higher Party bodies specific data and its own views on the application of the Party penalties. Penalty for a member or an alternate member of the Central Committee of the Party shall be decided upon by the Party Congress or the plenum of the Central Committee, and that for a member or an alternate member of the provincial, city, district or county Party committee by the respective conference or the plenary meeting of the respective Party committee, in each case with a two-thirds majority vote of the delegates or committee members present.

14. One who is expelled or penalized otherwise may appeal to the Party bodies at all levels up to the Central Committee of the Party.

The Party bodies at all levels shall consider and deal with the decision of the Party organization on the penalty for a Party member or the appeal sent by the penalized within one month from the day it is received.

15. The Central Committee of the Party may adopt decisions on dissolving any Party organization and individually re-enrolling the membership concerned, when the Programme, Rules and policy of the Party are seriously violated or not carried out by it.

16. One who wishes to join the Party shall go through the prescribed term of probationer membership in order to study the Programme, Rules and policy of the Party and to enable the Party organization to fully test his (her) political preparedness and personal quality.

17. Procedures for admission to the probationer membership are identical with those for the admission of a probationer member to the full membership.

18. A probationer member has the same duties and rights as those of a full member, except the right to elect and be elected and the right to vote.

19. The term of probationer membership is fixed for one year. The primary Party organization shall concretely guide and assist the probationer member in becoming qualified for full membership within the fixed term.

Upon the expiration of the probationary term of a probationer member the primary Party organization shall consider and decide upon his (her) admission at a general meeting. When it is established that he (she) is not fully prepared for admission, the general meeting can prolong the probationary term for another six months or a year. When it is established that a probationer member, having gone through the probationary term, is not fit for admission to the Party owing to his (her) personal quality, the Party general meeting shall consider and decide upon his (her) expulsion.

Decision of the primary Party organization on prolonging the probationary term or expelling a probationer member shall be endorsed by the city, district or county Party committee.

20. A probationer member shall pay membership dues like a full member.

21. The Party is organized on the principle of democratic centralism:

a) all leading Party bodies from the lowest to the highest are elected at Party general meetings, Party conferences or at the Party Congress;

b) leading Party bodies at all levels regularly report on their work to the Party organizations by which they were elected;

c) a Party member is subordinate to the Party organization, the minority to the majority, a lower Party body to the higher Party body and all Party organizations absolutely to the Central Committee of the Party;

d) lower Party bodies are bound in duty to carry out decisions of higher Party bodies; higher Party bodies systemically guide and inspect the work of lower Party bodies.

22. The Party is organized on a regional or industrial division.

A Party organization in charge of a given area is higher than any Party organization in charge of part of the area, and a Party organization in charge of the whole of an enterprise, by a special decision of the Central Committee of the Party, is higher than any Party organization in charge of part of it.

23. Each Party organization is autonomous in discussing and settling its own local affairs. However, the autonomous decisions upon local affairs shall not be in conflict with the Party Rules or decisions of the higher Party bodies.

24. The highest body in each Party organization is the Part general meeting (in the case of a primary Party organization), the Party conference (in the case of a provincial, city, district or county Party organization) and the Party Congress (in the case of the Party as a whole).

25. The Party general meeting elects the executive committee of the primary Party organization, the Party conference elects the provincial, city, district or county Party committee, and the Party Congress elects the Central Committee of the Party. These leading bodies guide all the work of the Party organizations.

Leading Party bodies at all levels unroll all their activities strictly on the basis of the Leninist principle of collective leadership as the highest principle of Party leadership.

26. Leading Party bodies at all levels are elected by secret ballot and the voting is individual in relation to candidates for leading Party bodies.

27. The provincial, city, district and county Party committees and the Party committees of major factories and enterprises may convene meetings of active members to discuss the implementation of Party decisions.

28. Necessary departments are set up in the Central Committee and in the provincial, city, district and county Party committees. The right to set up such departments is vested in the Central Committee of the Party.

29. It is the sacred right of every Party member emerging from inner-Party democracy to discuss freely the issue of the Party policy at an individual Party organization or on an all-Party scale. Only under conditions, in which inner-Party democracy is ensured, can self-criticism, above all criticism from below, be unrolled, enthusiasm and creative activity of the Party members raised, and the conscious observance of Party discipline strengthened.

Inner-Party democracy can protect the Party from every shade of anti-Party and opportunist elements, only when closely coupled with the principle of centralism.

30. The Central Committee of the Party may specially decide upon the forms of the Party organization and ways of activities of Party organizations under special circumstances.

31. The highest body of the Party is the Party Congress.

The regular Party Congress shall be convened once every four years by the Central Committee of the Party, and the extraordinary Party Congress at the proposal of the Central Committee of the Party or at the request of no less than one-third of the total membership represented at the preceding Party Congress.

The Central Committee of the Party shall announce the date and agenda of the Party Congress two months prior to the Congress.

The Central Committee of the Party fixes the ratio of delegates to the Party Congress.

32. Functions of the Party Congress are:

a) to hear, discuss and approve the reports of the Central Committee, the Central Auditing Commission and other central bodies of the Party;

b) to adopt or revise the Programme and Rules of the Party;

c) to decide upon the basic questions of the policy and tactics of the Party;

d) to elect the Central Committee and the Central Auditing Commission of the Party, the size of the membership of each being fixed by the Party Congress.

33. When for some reason vacancies occur in the Central Committee of the Party, they shall be filled by so many from among the alternate members of the Central Committee.

34. The Central Committee of the Party convenes its plenum no less than once every four months.

The alternate members of the Central Committee of the Party attend the plenum of the Central Committee with voice only.

35. The Central Committee of the Party forms a Presidium in order to guide the work of the Central Committee of the Party in the intervals between plenums, and sets up an Organizing Committee in order to carry out the current work concerning the organization of control of the implementation of decisions and the selection and allocation of cadres.

The plenum of the Central Committee of the Party elects the chairman and vice-chairmen of the Central Committee of the Party.

36. The Central Committee of the Party forms a Control Committee under the Central Committee.

Functions of the Control Committee of the Central Committee of the Party are:

a) to inspect how the Party discipline is observed by Party members and probationer members, and to call to account those Party members who have violated the Programme and Rules of the Party or the Party discipline, have weakened the unity of the Party and violated the Party moral;

b) to consider and deal with the proposals of provincial Party committees for Party penalties and appeals of individual Party members.

37. The Central Committee of the Party directs all Party work in the intervals between the Party Congresses, represents the Party in relation with other parties, government bodies as well as public organizations, forms Party bodies and directs their activities, nominates the editorial board of the organ of the Central Committee, organizes and manages the enterprises of social significance and administers the Party finance.

The Central Committee of the Party directs the work of the central bodies of the Government and of public organizations through the Party groups within them.

38. The Central Committee of the Party organizes political departments in special bodies, and posts Party organizers of the Central Committee in the major state enterprises with a view to intensifying the Party leadership. The political departments and the organizers of the Central Committee are directly led by the Central Committee, regularly report on their activities to the Central Committee, and are accountable to the Central Committee.

39. The Central Committee of the Party regularly notifies the Party organizations of its work.

40. Functions of the Central Auditing Commission of the Party are:

a) to inspect to see whether the departments of the Central Committee do their work expeditiously and correctly;

b) to audit the finance of the Central Committee of the Party.

41. The Central Committee of the Party has the right to convene, when necessary, the Party Conference in the intervals between the Party Congresses.

The Party Conference discusses urgent problems relating to the policy and tactics of the Party, and has the right to recall members of the Central Committee, who failed to fulfill their duties, and replace or elect them anew, however, not more than one-fifth of those elected by the Party Congress.

Election procedure and the ratio of delegates to the Party Conference shall be prescribed by the Central Committee of the Party.

Decisions of the Party Conference, except those on the by-election and election of the members and alternate members of the Central Committee, shall be endorsed by the Central Committee, and all Party organizations are bound in duty to carry them out.

42. The highest body of the provincial Party organization is the provincial Party conference.

The provincial Party conference shall be convened by the provincial Party committee once every two years. The provincial extraordinary Party conference shall be convened at the request of no less than one-third of the Party membership under the provincial Party committee, at the instance of the provincial Party committee, or when the Central Committee deems it necessary.

The provincial Party committee shall notify its subordinate Party organizations of the date and agenda of the provincial Party conference one month prior to the conference.

The provincial Party committee fixes the ratio of the delegates to the provincial Party conference.

43. Functions of the provincial Party conference are:

a) to hear, discuss and approve the reports of the provincial Party committee and the provincial Party auditing commission;

b) to elect a provincial Party committee and a provincial Party auditing commission;

c) to elect the delegates to the Party Congress.

44. The provincial Party committee convenes its plenary meetings no less than once every three months.

45. The provincial Party committee forms an executive committee of the provincial Party committee, including a chairman and vice-chairmen of the provincial Party committee, in order to carry out the current work in the intervals between its plenary meetings.

The executive committee of the provincial Party committee is in duty bound to report on its work to the plenary meeting of the provincial Party committee.

46. The provincial Party committee systematically directs the Party organizations in the province, organizes and inspects fulfilment of Party decisions, adequately allocates the Party forces within the province, trains Party members in the spirit of unrolling criticism and self-criticism and of irreconcilability with shortcomings, organizes and directs the study of Marxism-Leninism and practical training for the enhancement of the ideological and political level of Party members and probationer members, strengthens education in class consciousness among the working people, nominates the editorial board of the organ of the provincial Party committee, directs through the Party groups the work of government bodies and social organizations in the province, regularly reports on its work to the Central Committee, and manages its finance.

47. The highest body of the city, district or county Party organization is the city, district or county Party conference.

The city, district or county Party conference shall be convened once a year by the city, district or county Party committee; yet under certain circumstances, it may be convened once every two years. The city, district or county extraordinary Party conference shall be convened at the request of no less one-third of its Party membership, at the instance of the city, district or county Party committee, or when a higher Party body deems it necessary.

The city, district or county Party committee shall notify its subordinate Party organizations of the date and agenda of the city, district or county Party conference twenty days prior to the conference.

The city, district or county Party committee fixes the ratio of delegates to the city, district or county Party conference.

48. Functions of the city, district or county Party conference are:

a) to hear, discuss and approve reports on the work of the city, district or county Party committee and of the city, district or county Party auditing commission;

b) to elect a city, district or county Party committee and Party auditing commission;

c) to elect delegates to the provincial Party conference.

49. The city, district or county Party committee convenes its plenary meetings no less than once every two months.

50. The city, district or county Party committee forms an executive committee of the city, district or county Party committee, including the chairman and vice-chairmen of the city, district or county Party committee, in order to carry out the current work in the intervals between the plenary meetings of the city, district or county Party committee.

51. The city, district or county Party committee organizes or approves primary Party organizations, registers Party members and probationer members, adequately allocates the Party forces within the city, district or county, systematically directs its subordinate primary Party organizations, organizes and inspects the implementation of Party decisions, trains Party members in the spirit of unrolling criticism and self-criticism and of irreconcilability with shortcomings, organizes and directs the study of Marxism-Leninism and practical training for the enhancement of the ideological and political level of Party members and probationer members, strengthens education in class consciousness of the working people, directs through the Party groups the work of government bodies and social organizations in the city, district or county, regularly reports on its work to the higher Party body, and manages its finance.

52. The primary Party organization is the basic body of the Party.

The primary Party organization shall be formed when there are three or more Party members in a factory or an enterprise, in transport services, in a construction office, machine-hire station, farm or livestock farm, co-operative, government body, educational, cultural or public health establishment, unit of the People's Army, farm or fishing village.

In a factory or an enterprise, government body, village, etc., with less than three Party members, a circle of member(s) and probationer member(s) shall be formed with a Party member as a responsible person, recommended by a city, district or county Party committee, or by a political department concerned.

The primary Party organization shall be endorsed by a city, district or county Party committee, or by a political department concerned.

53. The highest body of the primary Party organization is the Party general meeting.

The general meeting of the primary Party organization shall be convened no less than once a month.

54. In a factory, enterprise, co-operative or government body with upwards of 100 Party members and probationer members, sectional Party organizations may be formed within the primary Party organization covering the whole factory, enterprise, etc., subject to the endorsement in each particular case by the city, district or county Party committee or a political department concerned.

A sectional Party organization is not authorized to decide on admission to the Party or on the application of penalties to Party members; it discusses and settles immediate issues concerning the Party work.

In a primary Party organization with less than 100 Party members and probationer members or in a sectional Party organization, Party sub-branches may be formed as occasion demands.

55. In a major factory, enterprise, co-operative, government body, etc., with upwards of 300 Party members and probationer members, a Party committee shall be formed, subject to the endorsement in each particular case by the Central Committee of the Party. The Party committee gives unified guidance to the work of the Party organizations in factories, enterprises, co-operatives and government bodies. Sectional Party organizations in such factories, enterprises, co-operatives and government bodies are invested with the same authority as a primary Party organization.

A Party committee with upwards of 2,000 Party members and probationer members may have the same authority as the city, district or county Party committee, subject to the endorsement by the Central Committee.

However, in individual branches, to which principles set forth in Articles 54 and 55 cannot be applied, primary Party organizations may be formed by the decision of the Central Committee of the Party.

56. Functions of the primary Party organization are:

a) to constantly explain the Party policy and decisions among Party members and popular masses, and organize and mobilize the toiling masses in the fight for the implementation of them;

b) to strengthen ties with the toiling masses and pay heed to their voice, give close attention to their requirements, always be concerned about their political, economic and cultural life, and actively strive to improve their material and cultural standards;

c) to admit to the Party active elements who fight in defence of the interests of the toiling masses, collect membership dues, intensify the Party discipline and train the Party members in the spirit of unrolling criticism and self-criticism and of irreconcilability with shortcomings;

d) to organize for Party members and probationer members the study of the theory of Marxism-Leninism and of the Party policy, and train Party members and the toiling masses in the spirit of loyalty to the Party, of patriotism and proletarian internationalism;

e) to struggle for fulfilling and overfulfilling the state production plans, launching production emulations, introducing and popularising advanced science, technique and experiences, intensifying labour discipline, protecting and economizing the state and co-operative property, strengthening agricultural co-operatives and raising the agricultural output, for the fortification of the material foundation of the people's democratic system.

57. The primary Party organization elects an executive committee for the term of one year.

The executive committee of a primary Party organizations shall be formed when there are 15 or more Party members.

A primary Party organization with less than 15 members shall not elect an executive committee, but a chairman and vice-chairman of the primary Party organization.

With a view to training the Party members in the spirit of collective leadership, an executive committee shall be elected also by a sectional Party organization with upwards of 15 members.

Primary Party organization, which is to organize the Party committee, elect it at the general meeting or the conference of the Party.

58. In case there are two or more primary Party organizations formed in one and the same administrative Ri-division (village), when deemed necessary, a Ri Party committee may be organized by a joint general meeting of the primary Party organizations, subject to the endorsement by the provincial Party committee.

Primary Party organizations under a Ri Party committee come under the direct jurisdiction of the city, district or county Party committee concerned.

The Ri Party committee assists the city, district or county Party committee in the guidance of the primary Party organizations, and organizes and mobilizes them to fulfil successfully the political, economic and cultural tasks arising in the Ri.

59. Party groups shall be formed in the congresses, consultative conferences and electoral bodies, of the organs of state power and of social and co-operative organizations.

A Party group elects a responsible member to exercise its functions.

60. A Party group shall obey the corresponding Party committee (the Central Committee of the Party, provincial Party committee, city, district or county Party committee) and carry out Party decisions within the body concerned.

61. A Party member shall pay monthly membership dues according to his (her) income. The rates are: monthly earnings of not more than 500 won — 1 per cent monthly earnings from 501 won to 1,000 won — 2 per cent monthly earnings of 1,001 won and more — 3 per cent

A peasant shall pay 10 won, and a student 1 won per month.

62. An initiation fee amounting to 2 per cent of monthly earnings shall be paid by a member (or a probationer member), and that of 20 won by a peasant.