The Ministry of Social Security is a

law enforcement agency A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws. Jurisdiction LEAs which have their ability to apply their powers restricted in some way are said to operate within a jurisdiction. LEAs ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

. Unlike most ministers in North Korea, which operate under the

Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

, the Ministry of Social Security is directly supervised by the

State Affairs Commission 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 ...

. The current minister is

Ri Yong-gil Ri Yong-gil (, born 1955) is a North Korean military officer and the current Minister of Social Security. He is believed to have been in his 60s when appointed to his position as a general in 2013. Ri was made a Lieutenant General in April 200 ...

. According to Fyodor Tertitskiy, columnist at

NK News NK News is an American subscription-based news website that provides stories and analysis about North Korea. Established in 2011, it is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea with reporters in Washington, D.C. and London. Reporting is based on infor ...

, prospective officers are chosen by recommendation by a local WPK Committee, although some are chosen because of their

songbun ''Songbun'' (), formally chulsin-songbun (, from Sino-Korean 出身, "origin" and 成分, "constituent"), is the system of ascribed status used in North Korea. Based on the political, social, and economic background of one's direct ancestors ...

status. He further contends that bribery represents a regular aspect of interactions between North Koreans and the police.

History

The ministry was first created as the Political Security Bureau (Korean: 정치보안국) on November 19, 1945. The bureau became a subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in September 1948. The bureau became a separate ministry known as the Ministry of Social Security (Korean: 사회안전성) in May 1951. However, the ministry was later merged back with the Ministry of Internal Affairs in October 1952. The Ministry of Social Security was re-established in October 1962 after splitting from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It became the Social Security Department (Korean: 사회안전부) in December 1972. The department was a subordinate to the Administration Council. In April 1982, the department was split from the Administration Council 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

. In April 2000, the name of the ministry was changed to Ministry of People's Security (Korean: 인민보안성). In April 2010, the ministry became the People's Security Department (Korean: 인민보안부) and was transferred to the control of the

National Defence Commission 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 cou ...

. In 2016, the department was renamed back to the Ministry of People's Security and became subordinate to the

. In May 2020, it was changed back to the Ministry of Social Security.

Duties

Beyond

policing The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and th ...

, its services include operating the

prison system A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correcti ...

in North Korea which is part of the Corrections Bureau of the Ministry of Social Security, monitoring the public distribution system and providing

bodyguard A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...

s to important persons. 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.

Structure

Korean People's Social Security Forces

The Korean People's Social Security Forces ( ko, 조선인민내무군) formerly known as People's Guards Forces ( ko, 조선인민경비대) is subordinated to the ministry 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 The CZ 75 is a semi-automatic pistol made by Czech firearm manufacturer ČZUB. First introduced in 1975, it is one of the original " wonder nines" and features a staggered-column magazine, all-steel construction, and a hammer forged barrel. It ...

pistol. * Type 68 Pistol- 7.62×25mm, North Korean copy of the

TT-33 The TT-30,, "7.62 mm Tokarev self-loading pistol model 1930", TT stands for Tula-Tokarev) commonly known simply as the Tokarev, is an out-of-production Soviet semi-automatic pistol. It was developed in 1930 by Fedor Tokarev as a service pist ...

Pistol. * Type 70 Pistol-

.32 ACP .32 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol, also known as .32 Automatic) is a centerfire pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pi ...

, North Korean indigenous pistol that is considered to be a copy of the

Makarov PM The Makarov pistol or PM ( rus, Пистоле́т Мака́рова, r=Pistolét Makárova, p=pʲɪstɐˈlʲet mɐˈkarəvə, t=Makarov's Pistol) is a Soviet semi-automatic pistol. Under the project leadership of Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov, it ...

and

Walther PPK The Walther PP (german: Polizeipistole, or police pistol) series pistols are blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols, developed by the German arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It features an exposed hammer, a traditional double-ac ...

. Used by K-9 officers in some cases and for standard patrolman and patrolwomen. *

Type 58 assault rifle The Type 58 ( ko, 58식자동보총) is an assault rifle made in North Korea derived from the Soviet AK-47 designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. This was the first weapon made in North Korea alongside the PPSh-41, made under license as the Type 49. ...

and Type 68 assault rifle-

7.62×39mm The 7.62×39mm (aka 7.62 Soviet, formerly .30 Russian Short) round is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge of Soviet origin. The cartridge is widely used due to the worldwide proliferation of Russian SKS and AK-47 pattern rifles, as ...

, North Korean (DPRK) locally made version of the

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas operated, gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian s ...

and

AKM The AKM () is an assault rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1959. It is the most ubiquitous rifle of the Kalashnikov rifles. It was developed as a replacement to the AK-47 introduced a decade prior. Introduced ...

. Used by Ministry of Social Security Corrections Bureau guards. * Type 88 assault rifle-

5.45×39mm The 5.45×39mm Cartridge (firearms), cartridge is a Rim (firearms), rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge. It was introduced into service in 1974 by the Soviet Union for use with the new AK-74. The 5.45×39mm gradually supplemented and then ...

, North Korean (DPRK) copy of the

AK-74 The AK-74 (Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet U ...

assault rifle. *

Type 73 light machine gun The Type 73 is a light machine gun designed and manufactured by North Korea's First Machine Industry Bureau. It is used primarily by the Korean People's Army, and via Iran, has been exported throughout the Middle East. It has a passing resemblance ...

7.62×54mmR The 7.62×54mmR is a rimmed rifle cartridge developed by the Russian Empire and introduced as a service cartridge in 1891. Originally designed for the bolt-action Mosin–Nagant rifle, it was used during the late tsarist era and throughout t ...

, North Korean (DPRK) locally made light machine gun that takes usually a magazine which is on the top of the gun similar to a

Bren Gun The Bren gun was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and Commonwealth forces' primary infantry LMG in World War II, it was also use ...

in appearance with aspects of the

PK machine gun The PK (russian: Пулемёт Калашникова, transliterated as ''Pulemyot Kalashnikova'', or "Kalashnikov's machine gun"), is a belt-fed general-purpose machine gun, chambered for the 7.62×54mmR rimmed cartridge. Designed in the Sov ...

and the

ZB vz.26 The ZB vz. 26 was a Czechoslovak light machine gun developed in the 1920s, which went on to enter service with several countries. It saw its major use during World War II, and spawned the related ZB vz. 27, vz. 30, and vz. 33. The ZB vz. 26 influe ...

. *

RPG-7 The RPG-7 (russian: link=no, РПГ-7, Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт, Ruchnoy Protivotankoviy Granatomyot) is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket-propelled grenade launcher. ...

Ministers of Interior

Pak Il-u Pak Il-u ( ko, 박일우, 1903–1955) was a Korean independence activist and a politician. Following the formal establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, he was the first Minister of Interior in the North Korean Cabinet. B ...

(박일우) (2.9.1948) * Pang Hak Se (방학세) (1952–1960) *

Pak Mun-gyu Pak Mun-gyu (; 1906–?) Born in Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do, he was an agronomist, sociologist, and politician in North Korea, held various positions in the early years of North Korean and its ruling Workers' Party of Korea. He was the first Min ...

(박문규) (23.10.1960–22.10-1962 and 23.10.1962) *

Pak Song-chol Pak Song-chol or Park Sung-chul (2 September 1913 – 28 October 2008) was a North Korean politician who served as Premier of North Korea from 1976 to 1977. He succeeded Kim Il. He also served as foreign minister from 1959 to 1970. Biogra ...

(박성철) (1.12.1967)

Ministers of Social Security

Choe Pu-il General Choe Pu-il (; born 6 March 1944) is a North Korean politician who served as head of North Korea's Ministry of People's Security. Biography In April 1992, he was promoted to Major General and to General in October 1995. After serving as ...

(2013-2020) * Kim Jong-ho ja, 金正浩 (軍人) (2020-January 2021) *

January 2021 - July 2021 * Kim Jong-ho July 2021- September 2021 *

Jang Jong-nam General Jang Jong-nam (born c. 1960) is the current Minister of Social Security and former defence minister of North Korea. He is believed to be in his 50s. Career Jang is believed to have played a role in the 2010 bombardment of Yeonpyeong, whi ...

September 2021 - December 2021 *

Ri Thae-sop Ri Thae-sop ( ko, 리태섭) is a North Korean politician and general. He served as Minister of Social Security and is serving since June 2022 as Chief of the General Staff. He is also a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the W ...

December 2021-June 2022DPRK Gets a New Police Boss, January 4th 2022
/ref> *

Pak Su-il Pak Su-il is a North Korean politician and military officer of the Korean People's Army. He is a member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and a delegate to the Supreme People ...

- June 2022 -

Ranks

References

{{authority control Law enforcement in North Korea Government agencies of North Korea