Workers' Party of North Korea - Second Congress

Second Congress

In early 1947, a purge was undertaken against the 'domestic' communist faction. Between 40,000–60,000 party members were expelled.

The party held its second congress from 27 March to 30 March 1948. By the time of the second party congress, the party claimed 725,762 members, organized in 29,762 party cells.

At the second party congress, leading members of the 'domestic' communist faction such as O Ki-sop, Chong Tal-hyon, Ch'oe Yong-dal and Yi Pong-su were attacked by Kim Il-sung. O Ki-sop was re-elected to the party central committee, but relegated to a post in a minor government enterprise.

Addressing the congress, Kim Il-sung stated in his attack on the 'domestic' faction that "Our Party recognized that in order to carry out the proper political duties the scattered and organisationally weak local and provincial organisations must be united under a strong central organisation in North Korea. Hence it was decided in the middle of October 1945, that the North Korean Central Committee of the Korean Communist Party be established. But some of the comrades in the Party were captivated by the sectarianism of the past. They were living, just as in the past, the life of egocentricity and self-importance, confined within their small local groups, without carrying out any Party work or obeying superior organisations. Therefore, leaders of these small groups, whose vision was adjusted to their caves and who were addicted to individual heroism, opposed the establishment of the North Korean Central Bureau on the excuse that they "support the central headquarters (in Seoul)." In order to hide their schemes, alleged that "establishment of the North Korean branch would result in dividing the Party.""