Editing Politics of North Korea (section)

== Political parties and elections ==

According to the [[Constitution of North Korea]], the country is a democratic republic and the [[Supreme People's Assembly]] (SPA) and [[Provincial People's Assemblies]] (PPA,도 인민회의) are elected by direct [[universal suffrage]] and [[secret ballot]]. Suffrage is guaranteed to all citizens aged 17 and over.<ref name=wikisource>[[s:Constitution of North Korea]]</ref> In reality, [[Elections in North Korea|DPRK elections]] are [[Show election|for show]] and feature single-candidate races only.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/03/north-korea-elections-guide/358875/|title=Yes, There Are Elections in North Korea and Here's How They Work|first=Danielle|last=Wiener-Bronner|website=[[The Atlantic]]|date=6 March 2014|access-date=31 January 2018}}</ref> Those who want to vote against the sole candidate on the ballot must go to a special booth—in the presence of an electoral official—to cross out the candidate's name before dropping it into the ballot box—an act which, according to many [[North Korean defectors]], is far too risky to even contemplate.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lee |first1=Jean H. |title=North Korea votes for new rubber-stamp parliament |url=http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2009Mar08/0,4670,ASNKoreaElection,00.html |website=Fox News |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=7 January 2021|date=8 March 2009}}</ref>

All elected candidates are members of the [[Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea]] (DFRK), a [[popular front]] dominated by the ruling [[Workers' Party of Korea]] (WPK).{{Update inline|date=March 2024|reason=DFRK no longer exists.}} The two minor parties are the [[Chondoist Chongu Party]] and the [[Korean Social Democratic Party]], who also have a few elected officials. The WPK exercises direct control over the candidates selected for election by members of the other two parties.<ref name=fh/> In the past, elections were contested by other minor parties as well, including the [[Korea Buddhist Federation]], [[Democratic Independent Party]], [[Dongro People's Party]], [[Gonmin People's Alliance]], and [[People's Republic Party]].<ref name="NohlenGrotz2001">{{cite book|author1=Dieter Nohlen|author2=Florian Grotz|author3=Christof Hartmann|title=Elections in Asia and the Pacific: South East Asia, East Asia, and the South Pacific|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fl-4AAAAIAAJ|year=2001|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-924959-6|page=404}}</ref>