In North Korea's first constitution, adopted in 1948, the executive powers were vested in the Cabinet, chaired by Kim Il Sung himself.

The Central People's Committee provided the highest visible institutional link between the party and the government and served in effect as a de facto super-cabinet.

According to the 1972 constitution, the Central People's Committee, chaired by President of North Korea, exercised wide range of powers such as shaping the internal and external policies of the state, direct the work of the Administration Council and provincial people's committee, supervising the execution of the constitution, laws and ordinances of the Supreme People's Assembly, establish or abolish ministries, executive bodies of the Administration Council and appoint or remove vice premiers, ministers and other members of the Administration Council and also to declare a state of war and enacting mobilization orders in case of emergency.

[4] 1982 saw the People's Armed Forces and Public Security Ministries assigned directly to the President together with the State Inspection Commission.

In 1990, by a CPC decision, the National Defense Commission became fully independent from it as a separate institution, and 1992 constitutional amendments assigned it directly to the Supreme People's Assembly.

These complexes consist of partially or fully state-owned industrial facilities like factories, mines, or farms, depending on the sector.