Ministry Of State Security (North Korea)
The Ministry of State Security of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국 국가보위성) is the secret police agency of North Korea. It is an autonomous agency of the North Korean government reporting directly to the Supreme Leader. In addition to its internal security duties, it is involved in the operation of North Korea's concentration camps and various other hidden activities. The agency is reputed to be one of the most brutal secret police forces in the world, and has been involved in numerous human rights abuses. It is one of two agencies which provides security or protection to North Korean officials and VIPs alongside the Supreme Guard Command. History In 1945, the DPRK Security was established, being attached to the "Police Department". In 1948, it became Ministry of Internal Affairs ( ko, 내무성 정치보위국) with the Bureau of Political Protection attached. In February 1949, it became the Political Security Age ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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State Affairs Commission Of North Korea
The State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (SAC) is defined by the 2016 constitution as "the supreme policy-oriented leadership body of State power." The current president of the SAC, which is defined by the same constitution, is the head of state of the nation. History The National Defence Commission was created in 1972 as per the 1972 Constitution, originally the commission's mandate was to supervise national defense matters within North Korea. Per the 4th plenary session of the Supreme People's Assembly in June 2016 the National Defence Commission was officially replaced by the ''State Affairs Commission'', with an expanded focus towards other national concerns aside from defense and security. Powers and responsibilities Article 106 of the Constitution of North Korea defines the State Affairs Commission as the supreme state organ of policy direction of state sovereignty. Article 109 of the Constitution states that the SAC's powers are to: * ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Eastern Bloc
The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed during the Cold War (1947–1991). These states followed the ideology of Marxism–Leninism, in opposition to the Capitalism, capitalist Western Bloc. The Eastern Bloc was often called the Second World, whereas the term "First World" referred to the Western Bloc and "Third World" referred to the Non-Aligned Movement, non-aligned countries that were mainly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America but notably also included former Tito–Stalin split, pre-1948 Soviet ally SFR Yugoslavia, which was located in Europe. In Western Europe, the term Eastern Bloc generally referred to the USSR and Central and Eastern European countries in the Comecon (East Germany, Polish People's Republic, Poland, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, Czechoslovakia, Hungarian ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kim Won-hong
Kim Won-hong (; born 17 July 1945) is a North Korean politician and military general. Early life and education Kim was born in what is now North Korea's North Hwanghae Province. He graduated from the Workers' Party of Korea's Kim Il-sung Higher Party School and has been serving in the Korean People's Army since 1962, holding several positions in the army's General Political Bureau as well as commander of army corps. His first public mention was as a funeral committee member for late Marshal Choe Kwang in 1997. He was elected deputy to the Supreme People's Assembly in 1998. Career Kim Won-hong rose to prominence in 2003, as he was appointed commander of the Military Security Command (the North Korean army's intelligence unit) following the death of General Won Ung-hui, who had been heading it since 1990. In April 2009, Kim was promoted to General and then migrated to the KPA General Political Bureau's Department, at the same time when Kim Jong-il reportedly put Kim Jong-un in cha ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Heir Apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the birth of a more eligible heir is known as heir presumptive. Today these terms most commonly describe heirs to hereditary titles (e.g. titles of nobility) or offices, especially when only inheritable by a single person. Most monarchies refer to the heir apparent of their thrones with the descriptive term of ''crown prince'' or ''crown princess'', but they may also be accorded with a more specific substantive title: such as Prince of Orange in the Netherlands, Duke of Brabant in Belgium, Prince of Asturias in Spain (also granted to heirs presumptive), or the Prince of Wales in the United Kingdom; former titles include Dauphin in the Kingdom of France, and Tsesarevich in Imperial Russia. The term is also used metaphorically to indicate a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kim Jong-un
Kim Jong-un (; , ; born 8 January 1982) is a North Korean politician who has been Supreme Leader of North Korea since 2011 and the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012. He is a son of Kim Jong-il, who was North Korea's second supreme leader from 1994 to 2011, and Ko Yong-hui. He is a grandson of Kim Il-sung, who was the founder and first supreme leader of North Korea from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. Kim Jong-un is the first leader of North Korea to have been born in the country after its founding in 1948. From late 2010, Kim was viewed as successor to the leadership of North Korea. Following his father's death in December 2011, state television announced Kim as the "Great Successor". Kim holds the titles of General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and President of the State Affairs. He is also a member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea, the highes ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ri Myong-su
Ri Myong-su ( ko, 리명수; born on 20 February 1934 in Myongchon, North Hamgyong) is the former chief of General Staff of the Korean People's Army from 2016 to 2018. Ri was a confidant and military aide of the former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. He was appointed the head of the Ministry of People's Security by Kim Jong-il in April 2011 and served in that role until removed from power by Kim Jong-un in February 2013. He was replaced by Choe Pu-il. He was made chief of General Staff of the Korean People's Army in February 2016 and promoted to vice marshal rank in April that year. In June 2018, it was announced that he had been sacked about a week before the summit between North Korea and the United States, and was replaced in the position by his deputy Ri Yong-gil. See also *Rimyongsu Sports Club Rimyŏngsu Sports Club () is a North Korean football club, based in Sariwŏn. Despite never winning the DPR Korea League, Rimyŏngsu supplied four players to the 2005 FIFA ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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U Tong-chuk
U Tong-chuk or Woo Dong-cheuk (born August 8, 1942) is a North Korean official. He was a politburo member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. In addition, he was head of State Security Department from 2009 to 2012. After February 2012, he disappeared from public after attending celebrations for late leader Kim Jong-il's birthday. According to official North Korean state media, U graduated from Kim Il-sung University with a philosophy degree. He later served in a number of minor posts in the Organization and Guidance Department of the Workers' Party of Korea before being moved to a leading position in the Ministry of State Security (or State Security Department) in the 1990s. He was promoted to colonel-general, member of the National Defence Commission, and first vice-minister of State Security in 2009. This put him in charge of the ministry and gave him access to the country's top echelon, as the ministry was reportedly under Kim Jong-il directly, and he accomp ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Daejang
(; ja, 将, Shō; ) is the rank held by general officers in some East Asian militaries. The ranks are used in both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China on Taiwan. The People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police use three levels at present while the Republic of China Armed Forces use four. In both North and South Korea the rank is also used. Chinese variant People's Liberation Army The same rank names are used for all services, prefixed by ''haijun'' () or ''kongjun'' (). Under the rank system in place in the PLA in the era 1955–1965, there existed the rank of () or Grand General. This rank was awarded to 10 of the veteran leaders of the PLA in 1955 and never conferred again. It was considered equivalent to the Soviet rank of (Army General) which is generally considered a five-star rank, although the insignia itself had only four. The decision to name the equivalent rank when it was briefly re-established in 1988-1994 was likely due to a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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National Defence Commission Of North Korea
The National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (NDC) () was the highest state institution for military and national defence leadership in North Korea, which also served as the highest governing institution of the country from 1998 until 2016 when it was replaced by the State Affairs Commission. History The National Defence Commission started as the National Defence Commission of the Central People's Committee of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea () which was created on 27 December 1972 by the 1972 Constitution as one of the commissions that were subordinate to the Central People's Committee. The commission was separated from the on 9 April 1992 through an amendment of the 1972 Constitution, and became the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It was also designated as the "supreme military leadership institution of state power." National Defense Commission was separated from the Central People's Committee ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Organization And Guidance Department Of The Workers' Party Of Korea
The Organization and Guidance Department (OGD) is a department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of North Korea. Its central responsibility is to implement the directives and teachings of the ''Suryeongs'' reat Leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. The department was initially a department within the WPK General Affairs Department, but eventually spun off and was established at the 3rd Plenary Session of the 2nd Central Committee as the Organization Committee. Mission The OGD is a powerful department of the WPK that guides the implementation of all Party life policy, which extends to nearly every aspect of life in North Korea from civilian, to military, to government. The OGD also serves as the staff for the Central Committee and Central Military Committee, and controls key personnel in the government, WPK, and Korean People's Army (KPA). This control stems from the OGD's power to select and dismiss high-ranking officials based on th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il (; ; ; born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;, 16 February 1941 – 17 December 2011) was a North Korean politician who was the second supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 to 2011. He led North Korea from the 1994 death of his father Kim Il-sung, the first Supreme Leader, until his own death in 2011, when he was succeeded by his son, Kim Jong-un. In the early 1980s, Kim had become the heir apparent for the leadership of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and assumed important posts in the party and army organs. Kim succeeded his father and DPRK founder Kim Il-sung, following the elder Kim's death in 1994. Kim was the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), WPK Presidium, Chairman of the National Defence Commission (NDC) of North Korea and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA), the fourth-largest standing army in the world. Kim ruled North Korea as a repressive and totalitarian dictatorship. Kim assumed leadership duri ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |