various powers such as the passing of laws and the election of the Cabinet, the Supreme Court and the Procurator General. The Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly was tasked with exercising the powers of the assembly during its recess, as well as to represent the country in its foreign relations. The Cabinet was instituted to be the highest executive institution, with its Premier being designated as head of government. The 1948 constitution was amended five times in April 1954, October 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1962. Socialist Constitution North Korea began drafting the present Socialist Constitution as there was a need to set into law the expanding socialist policies and the political, economic and social changes in the country, which are no longer being reflected in the 1948 constitution. The need for a new constitution had been discussed since the mid-1960s. In the 1970s, the creation of a new constitution was made into an urgent matter. On 23 October 1972, a committee to draft the Socialist Constitution was organized during the 5th plenary meeting of the 5th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. Kim Il-sung said in a report during the meeting that there was a need to codify the "socialist revolution and construction" and their achievements in the constitution. The Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has been amended eight times in 1992, 1998, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2019. Structure The Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea consists of a preamble and 172 articles organized into seven chapters as of 11 April 2019. The constitution is considered as unique for combining strong socialist and nationalist tendencies as well as referencing the country's Juche ideology. Preamble The preamble describes North Korea, which has the official name of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as the "socialist state of Juche" that applies the ideas and achievements of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il on state construction. Kim Il-sung is credited as the "founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and father of socialist Korea" who founded the Juche idea and turned North Korea into a socialist country. Kim Jong-il is credited as the "peerless patriot and defender of socialist Korea" who had kept Kim Il-sung's policies and turned North Korea into a politico-ideological power, a nuclear state and a military power through Songun politics. Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il were