Democratic People's Republic of Korea - March 2026
North Korea holds first parliamentary election in seven years
On 15 March, North Korea held elections for all 687 seats in the Supreme People’s Assembly, its first parliamentary elections since 2019. Each constituency had one pre-approved candidate, whom voters could approve or reject. According to official results announced by North Korean authorities, turnout was 99.9 per cent, with 99.9 per cent of participating voters supporting the candidates. All 687 candidates were elected. The election was delayed by two years beyond parliament’s nominal five-year term. While authorities provided no public explanation, analysts suggested the postponement may have been intended to align the election with the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea Congress cycle or resulted from recent national emergencies. The number of women in parliament decreased from 121 (17.6 per cent) in the previous legislature, to 108 (15.7) per cent in the March election. The electoral process offered no competition between candidates or alternative political platforms.
Sources: 38 North, Election Map, Reuters, IPU Parline, NK News
