National Defense Commission was separated from the Central People's Committee (which was dissolved and replaced by the Cabinet) at the first session of the 10th convocation of the Supreme People's Assembly and became the highest governing institution in North Korea on 5 September 1998 through an amendment of the 1972 Constitution that abolished the office of President of North Korea. It was designated as the "supreme military leadership and overall national defence management institution of state power." Since an amendment of the 1972 Constitution on 9 April 2009, the National Defence Commission was designated as the "supreme national defence leadership institution of state power."