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The principal legislative body in North Korea is the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA). Meetings are infrequent, typically occurring only a few days each year, and its role is often likened to that of a rubber-stamp legislature. Of its 687 seats, a significant majority—607—are occupied by members of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK). However, the Assembly also includes representatives from three other minor parties, creating an illusion of political plurality.
The formation of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea—a coalition of existing parties—vividly illustrates this facade. Founded in 1946, this coalition is mainly a stratagem to create an appearance of multi-party democracy, although the reality is that it is heavily dominated by the WPK.