Suggested citations
AGLC4 | 행정구역법 2008 [Administrative District Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (2008)] [tr Daye Gang].
Bluebook | Haengjeongguyeokbeob 2008 [Administrative District Law of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (2008)] translated in Law and North Korea by Daye Gang, https://www.lawandnorthkorea.com/.
Adopted on October 2, Juche 97 (2008), as Directive No. 2906 of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly
Article 1 (Objective of Administrative District Law)
The Administrative District Law of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea shall strictly adopt systems and order for the work of creating or fixing an administrative district to organize administrative districts rationally, and must serve to smoothly assure the standardized guidance of the state over all areas.
Article 2 (Classification of administrative districts)
Administrative districts are area units or compartments of the territory of the country that are classified according to the State administration system. They shall be classified into Democratic People’s Republic of Korea administrative districts province (municipality directly under central authority), city (district), county, borough (town, labour complex, burg).
Article 3 (Authority for the work of creating or fixing administrative districts)
The work of creating or fixing administrative districts is important State administration work that newly creates or eliminates administrative districts, and determines the name and boundaries of administrative districts. The work of creating or fixing administrative districts shall be done by the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly.
Article 4 (Principles to abide by in the work of creating or fixing administrative districts)
Principles to abide by in the work of creating or fixing administrative districts are as follows.
1. Central standardized guidance must be strengthened and the creative power of regions must be guaranteed to the utmost.
2. The even development of the national economy in all areas of the country must be guaranteed.
3. Things such as the composition of residents and the nature of their standard of life, traffic conditions, education conditions, and public health conditions must be taken into consideration.
4. Natural geographical conditions and the natural characteristics of the climate must be taken into consideration.
5. The stable living conditions and residency administration work of the people must be smoothly guaranteed.
6. The requirements of national defense must be taken into consideration.
Article 5 (Party to an application to create or fix an administrative district)
An application to create or fix an administrative district shall be done by the province (or municipality directly under central authority), city (or district), or county People’s Committee. In cases where it is accepted that it is required for the economic development of the district under its jurisdiction, the advancement of the people’s standard of living, or for the improvement of residential administration work, a province (or municipality directly under central authority), city (or district), or county People’s Committee shall consider it at the Meeting of the Permanent Committee and may make an application to create or fix an administrative district.
Article 6 [Submission of application document of province (or municipality directly under central authority) People’s Committee]
A province (or municipality directly under central authority) People’s Committee must directly submit an application document to create or fix an administrative district to the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly. In these cases, issues related to the administrative districts of adjacent provinces (or municipalities directly under central authority) must be agreed with the given province (or municipality directly under central authority) People’s Committee in documents.
Article 7 [Submission of application document of city (district) or county People’s Committee]
A city (district) or county People’s Committee must submit an application document to create or fix an administrative district to the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly through the given province (municipality directly under central authority) People’s Committee. In these cases, issues related to the administrative districts of adjacent cities (districts) or counties shall be agreed with the given city (district) county People’s Committee in documents.
Article 8 [Reviewing and raising application document submitted by city (district) or county People’s Committee]
When an application document is submitted to create or fix an administrative district from a city (district) or county People’s Committee, a province (or municipality directly under central authority) People’s Committee shall correctly review it and must submit it to the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly. In cases where there is a deficiency in the application document or the reasons for application are unreasonable, it shall be returned.
Article 9 [Review and treatment of application document submitted by province (or municipality directly under central authority) People’s Committee]
In cases where an application document to create or fix an administrative district submitted by a province (or municipality directly under central authority) People’s Committee to the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly has a deficiency, it shall be returned. A province (or municipality directly under central authority) People’s Committee that has had an application document returned may fix the deficiency and raise it again.
Article 10 (Drafting method for application document)
An application to create or fix an administrative district must state things such as the reasons, purpose and content for the application, materials on the state of the administrative district, and the state of the agreement made with adjacent province (or municipality directly under central authority), city (or district) or county People’s Committee, and shall attach a map of the relevant administrative district. The style and drafting method of the application document shall follow what the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly has determined.
Article 11 (Deliberation period for application document)
Deliberation over an application document to create or fix an administrative district shall be done within 3 months of the day the relevant document was received.
Article 12 (Cases where an administrative district is created or fixed according to requirements of the State)
In cases where a requirement of the State has been raised related to the issue of creating or fixing an administrative district, the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly may directly investigate and resolve it.
Article 13 (Guarantee of materials required to deliberate on application document)
People’s Committees and relevant institutions such as land surveying institutions, waterway institutions, and scientific research institutions must guarantee in time the materials required by the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly for deliberation on an application document to create or fix an administrative district.
Article 14 (Deliberation and approval institution for application document)
Deliberation and approval of an application document to create or fix an administrative district shall be done at the Meeting of the Permanent Committee of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly.
Article 15 (Promulgation of directive)
If an application document to create or fix an administrative district is approved during the deliberation, it shall be promulgated as a directive of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly.
Article 16 (Directive promulgation period)
When a directive of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Committee is promulgated to create or fix an administrative district, the given province (or municipality directly under central authority), city (or district), county People’s Committee shall implement it within 1 month and shall report the results to the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly.
Article 17 (Report about changes in geographical features)
In cases where geographical features have been changed for reasons such as the construction of tideland, land arrangement, waterway construction, highways, reservoirs, power plant construction or changes in natural conditions, a province (or municipality directly under central authority), city (or district), county People’s Committee must report it in time to the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly.
Article 18 (Installation and protection of administrative district boundary markers)
A province (or municipality directly under central authority), city (or district), county People’s Committee shall install a boundary marker that can identify an administrative district in a designated place and must normally protect and manage it.
Article 19 (Furnishing of administrative district map and documents related to administrative district)
A province (or municipality directly under central authority), city (or district), county People’s Committee must hold an administrative district map and documents related to the administrative district. An administrative district map and documents related to the administrative district must be stored for a designated period.
Article 20 (Drafting and distribution of administrative district map)
The work of drafting and distributing an administrative district map shall be done by the State land surveying institution. In cases where an administrative district has changed, the State land surveying institution shall amend and supplement it in time.
Article 21 (Prohibited matters)
The following acts may not be done without approval.
1. Acts of creating or eliminating administrative districts
2. Acts of determining the name, boundary or designation of administrative districts
3. Acts of damaging or moving the administrative district boundary marker
4. Acts such as using the land of a different administrative district for farming or constructing facilities.
Article 22 (Organization of State designation committee)
A non-standing State designation committee shall be maintained in the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly for designation work. The State designation committee shall do the work of naming, researching, or fixing a designation.
Article 23 (Restoration, penalty, suspension)
In cases where an administrative district has been created or eliminated without approval or a name, boundary or designation of an administrative district has been decided, it shall be restored. In cases where the boundary marker has been damaged, disappeared or moved, it shall be restored or a penalty shall be imposed. In cases of acts such as using the land of a different administrative district for farming or constructing facilities without approval, it shall be suspended.
Article 24 (Administrative or criminal responsibility)
Responsible workers of institutions, enterprises and organizations and individual citizens who have caused grave consequences by violating this law shall have administrative or criminal responsibility imposed depending on the gravity.
Last updated 13 September 2020