Supreme People's Assembly

The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) is North Korea's highest legislative body, akin to a national parliament. Its members are elected every five years, but the elections are tightly controlled by the ruling Workers' Party. The SPA's primary role is to approve laws and policies, but in practice, it mainly rubber-stamps decisions made by the country's leadership. Sessions are infrequent, and the Assembly's influence is limited, as real power lies with the Supreme Leader. It serves to provide a façade of legitimacy to the government and its decisions, rather than functioning as a truly independent legislative authority.