Organizations Cabinet Ministries The following is a list of heads of state of North Korea since its foundation in 1948.
[1] After Kim Il Sung died in 1994, the presidency and hence the position of head of state was left vacant.
His son and successor, Kim Jong Il, kept official titles given to him by the late president and never formally became the head of state.
During this period, the president of the presidium of the SPA exercised many of the functions normally granted to a head of state, such as receiving ambassadors.
Titles used by Kim Jong Un have constitutionally defined him as the Supreme Leader, but not formal head of state.