In July of that year, Pak ranked 188th out of 273 members on the funeral committee of the late leader Kim Il Sung, indicating that he was on the periphery of the elite hierarchy.
[3] In 2005, in a plenary session of the Supreme People's Assembly Pak spoke regarding the reintroduction of the public distribution system.
Pak proposed an administrative solution to food distribution and labeled it the party's position: "By all means, we must reach this year’s grain production targets by thoroughly implementing the party’s policy of agricultural revolution by fully concentrating and mobilizing the entire country’s efforts into the agricultural front".
[4] On 11 April 2007, the Korean Central News Agency reported that during the 5th session of the 11th Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, Pak Pong-ju was "relieved … of premiership" and Kim Yong-il elected the new premier.
It is rumored that he was removed from office because he misused oil funds to be used for the farming sector,[6] or that he was too heavily focused on economic development suggestions from the People's Republic of China, instead of home-grown ideas.
[12] On 11 April 2019, Pak was replaced by Kim Jae-ryong during the first session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly and given vice-chairmanship of the Workers' Party of Korea.
[13] Pak Pong-ju has been seen in the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, visiting the building on the 26th anniversary of the death of Kim Il Sung.