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 ...

in North Korea. 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 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 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. In 2016, the department was renamed back to the Ministry of People's Security and became subordinate to the State Affairs Commission. 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 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 pistol. * Type 68 Pistol- 7.62×25mm, North Korean copy of the TT-33 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 and Walther PPK. 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 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. ...

- 7.62×39mm, North Korean (DPRK) locally made version of the AK-47 and AKM. 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 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, 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 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

Ministers of Interior

* Pak Il-u (박일우) (2.9.1948) *

Pang Hak Se Pang Hak-se ( ko, 방학세) (方學世, born 1914 - died 18 July 1992) was a politician from North Korea. After the formal establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republ ...

(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 (박성철) (1.12.1967)

Ministers of Social Security

* Choe Pu-il (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 December 2021-June 2022DPRK Gets a New Police Boss, January 4th 2022
/ref> * Pak Su-il - June 2022 -

Ranks

References

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