Unlike most ministries in North Korea, which operate under the Cabinet, the Ministry of Social Security is directly supervised by the State Affairs Commission.[2] The current minister is Ri Yong-gil.
According to Fyodor Tertitskiy, columnist at NK News, prospective officers are chosen by recommendation by a local Korean Workers Party (WPK) Committee, although some are chosen because of their songbun status.[3]
History
The ministry was first created as the Political Security Bureau (Korean: 정치보안국) on November 19, 1945.[4] The bureau became a subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in September 1948.[5] The bureau became a separate ministry known as the Ministry of Social Security (Korean: 사회안전성) in May 1951.[4] However, the ministry was later merged back with the Ministry of Internal Affairs in October 1952.[5]
The Ministry of Social Security was re-established in October 1962 after splitting from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.[5] It became the Social Security Department (Korean: 사회안전부) in December 1972.[4] The department was a subordinate to the Administration Council. In April 1982, the department was split from the Administration Council [6] but was later returned to its control in December 1986.
The department was renamed back to the Ministry of Social Security in September 1998 and became subordinate to the Cabinet.[4][5] In April 2000, the name of the ministry was changed to Ministry of People's Security (Korean: 인민보안성).[4] In April 2010, the ministry became the People's Security Department (Korean: 인민보안부) and was transferred to the control of the National Defence Commission.[4]
In 2016, the department was renamed back to the Ministry of People's Security and became subordinate to the State Affairs Commission.[4]
In May 2020, it was changed back to the Ministry of Social Security.[7]
Duties
Beyond policing, its services include operating the prison system in North Korea which is part of the Corrections Bureau of the Ministry of Social Security, monitoring the public distribution system and providing bodyguards to important persons.[8]
The Ministry of Social Security gathers information from local informers in social units about irregular acts. If a case is believed to be of a political nature, it is instead handed over to the Ministry of State Security for investigation.[8]
Structure
Korean People's Social Security Forces
The Korean People's Social Security Forces (Korean: 조선인민내무군) formerly known as People's Guards Forces (Korean: 조선인민경비대)[9] is subordinated to the ministry[10] is in charge of security for major national facilities such as military demarcation lines, borders, and coastal security, as well as government buildings, Yongbyon nuclear facilities, power plants, and broadcasting facilities. It is the country's national gendarmerie and civil defense organization organized in military lines.
In the 1980s, the work of the People's Guards was transferred to the National Security Agency, and the border guard was believed to have passed to the People's Armed Forces Ministry in October 1996. In 2010 the then People's Security Forces became the People's Internal Security Forces, and in 2020 was renamed as the People's Social Security Forces.
Equipment
Paektusan Pistol- 9×19mm, North Korean (DPRK) locally made copy of the CZ-75 pistol.
Type 68 Pistol- 7.62×25mm, North Korean copy of the TT-33 Pistol.
Type 70 Pistol- .32 ACP, North Korean indigenous pistol that is considered to be a copy of the Makarov PM and Walther PPK. Used by K-9 officers in some cases and for standard patrolman and patrolwomen.
^Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "North Korea", accessed August 29, 2014.
^"Organizational Chart of North Korean Leadership"(PDF). Seoul: Political and Military Analysis Division, Intelligence and Analysis Bureau; Ministry of Unification. January 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
.svg)
.svg)
North Korea portal .png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}
.png){kind=icon}