PYONGYANG -- The top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Jong Un, has been elected chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), it was announced Monday.

The announcement was made by Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.

Kim Jong Un was the first secretary of the WPK.

Meanwhile, Choe Ryong Hae and Pak Pong Ju have been elected to the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee, raising the number of the committee members from three to five.

Previously, the members of the committee included Kim Jong Un, Kim Yong Nam and Hwang Pyong So, director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army.
Nineteen members and nine alternate members were declared as members of the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee.

The decision was made at the first plenary meeting of the 7th Congress of the ruling party's central committee, Kim Yong Nam said.

The meeting also elected nine vice chairmen of the central committee of the WPK, including Choe Ryong Hae and Kim Ki Nam, who used to be the secretaries of the Secretariat.

The vice chairmen constitute a newly-created institution under the party's central committee.

Changes were made to the party's organization of core leadership. The congress did not announce the secretaries of the central committee, while some who had been secretaries of the Secretariat were given new posts as vice chairmen of the party's central committee.

Kim Yong Nam also announced 11 members of the central military commission and the members of the central review committee of the ruling party.

The editor-in-chief of the party's mouthpiece, Rodong Sinmun, was also appointed.

Kim Yong Nam then announced the names of chairman and vice chairman of the central inspection committee of the party.