[2] It was established on 13 May 1961 as part of Pyongyang's ongoing response to the South Korean April Revolution of the preceding year which had resulted in Rhee Syng-man's resignation.
The mere announcement of the CPRF's creation is believed to have exacerbated political instability in the South and to have contributed to the success of army general Park Chung-hee's coup three days later.
In the aftermath of the Committee's creation, Pyongyang's reunification policy took a turn towards more pro-active means aimed at provoking the Southern government and inciting an internal Communist revolution there; Pyongyang concluded further military agreements with China and the Soviet Union, captured the USS Pueblo, attempted to assassinate Park Chung-hee in 1968 in what became known as the Blue House Raid, and shot down an American aircraft the following year.
[4] During the fourth session of the 13th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) on June 29, 2016, the committee was reorganized and elevated into a state agency.
[5] On January 15, 2024, the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea formally abolished the committee along with two other state bodies focusing on reunification with the South, the National Economic Cooperation Bureau and the Kumgangsan International Tourism Administration.