State Security Department

The State Security Department (SSD) or the Ministry of State Security is the secret police
agency of North Korea. It is an autonomous agency of the North Korean government reporting directly
to the Supreme Leader.[1][2] In addition to its internal security duties, it is involved in the operation of
North Korea's concentration camps and various other hidden activities.[3] It is reputed to be one of the
most brutal police forces in the world, and has been involved in numerous human rights abuses.[2]

It is one of two agencies which provides security or protection to North Korean officials and VIPs
alongside the Supreme Guard Command.[2][4]

Duties

The SSD is tasked to investigate political and economic crimes in North Korea, especially for the former
on crimes against the Kim family.[6] It's also tasked to conduct VIP protection duties for North Korean
diplomats and employees who work in various North Korean embassies, consulates and other foreign
missions abroad.[6]

The SSD is known to link up with various government ministries and agencies to help them with their
various missions.[6]

Ministry of People's Security

The Ministry of People's Security is a law enforcement agency in North Korea.[1]

Unlike most ministers in North Korea, which operate under the Cabinet, the Ministry of People's Security
is directly supervised by the State Affairs Commission.[2] The current minister is Choe Pu-il.[3]

Prospective officers are chosen by recommendation by a local WPK Committee, although some are
chose because of their songbun status.[4]

North Korean police officers are notorious for demanding bribes from anyone who's being stopped.[4]

Duties

Beyond policing, its services include operating the prison system in North Korea, monitoring the public
distribution system and providing bodyguards to important persons.[5]

The Ministry of People’s 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 State Security
Department for investigation.[5]

Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea

The Central Military Commission of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (CMC) is an
organ of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) which is responsible for
coordinating the Party organizations within the Korean People's Army (KPA). One of the CMC’s primary
functions is to authorize defense and munitions spending and product orders, and to determine how
natural resources and products from military-controlled production units are earmarked and distributed
domestically and for sale abroad. According to the WPK Charter, the CMC directs WPK activities in the
KPA and is chaired by the WPK Chairman.[not verified in body] The CMC relies on a number of
organizations to carry out its mandate, including the KPA General Political Department, the WPK Military
Department, and the WPK Machine-Building Department. The CMC also uses the WPK Military Affairs
Department to transmit guidance and indoctrination of North Korea's reserve military training units.

National Defense Commission

The National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (NDC) (Korean:
조선민주주의인민공화국 국방위원회) 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.

Functions

The 1972 Constitution mandated the National Defence Commission to be one of the commissions that
are subordinate to the Central People's Committee in order to assist it in its work.

The 1992 amendment to the 1972 Constitution separated the National Defence Commission from the
Central People's Committee and was designated the following functions as the "supreme military
leadership institution of state power":

Guide the overall armed forces and defense-building work of the State

Appoint or dismiss key military officials

Institute military ranks and promote officers above the general-grade officer rank

Proclaim a state of emergency and mobilization order

Issue decisions and orders

Propaganda and Agitation Department

The Propaganda and Agitation Department (PAD, Korean: 선전선동부[1]), officially the Publicity
and Information Department,[2] is a department of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of
Korea (WPK) tasked with coordinating the creation and dissemination of propaganda in North Korea. It
is the highest propaganda organization in the country.

The department sets guidelines for all propaganda materials produced and all North Korean
media is overseen by it. However, in order to maintain its clandestine nature, actions relating to
repression of the media are nominally attributed to the Ministry of Culture [ko]. When newspapers are
published in North Korea, they go through three rounds of censorship. The first is handled by the editors
of the paper. The second and third levels are taken care of by the department.
The department also translates foreign works, if they are censored from the public, for the use of the
country's political elite.[3]

Organization and Guidance Department

The Organization and Guidance Department (OGD) is an agency of the Central Committee of the
Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of North Korea. Its main responsibility is to "completely
implement the teaching and decisions of the Suryeong [Great Leader]," former Party General Secretary
Kim Il-sung.[1] The department was initially a division 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.[2]

Cabinet of North Korea

The Cabinet of North Korea (Naegak[1]) is, according to the Constitution of North Korea, the
administrative and executive body and a general state-management organ in the Government of North
Korea.[2] The Cabinet's principal newspaper is Minju Choson.

Powers and responsibilities

The Cabinet, as the executive branch of the North Korean state, is responsible for implementing the
state's economic policies, as guided by the Workers' Party. The cabinet is not responsible for defense
and security issues, as those are handled by the State Affairs Commission. Thus, the security
organizations such as the Korean People's Army, Ministry of People's Security and State Security
Department report and subordinated directly to the SAC, whose Chairman holds full power as the
supreme leader of the republic and the party and overall commander-in-chief of all uniformed forces.
The Cabinet convenes a plenary meeting and an executive meeting.[10] The plenary meeting consists of
all the Cabinet members, while the executive meeting is kind of a presidium, and comprises fewer
people, including the Premier, vice premier and other Cabinet members whom the Premier nominates.
The cabinet forms acts in the form of decisions and directives

the Ministry of People's Armed Forces (MPAF, Korean: 인민무력성; MR: Inminmuryŏksŏng, formerly
인민무력부, Inminmuryeokbu) is the government agency tasked with general administrative and
logistical coordination of the Korean People's Army (KPA). Prior to 1992, it was under the direct control
of the president, with guidance from the National Defence Commission and the Workers' Party of Korea
Military Affairs Department. The 1992 state constitution shifts its control to the National Defence
Commission. The 2016 state constitution revision shifted its control to the State Affairs Commission. The
current Minister of People's Armed Forces is No Kwang-chol, who was appointed to the post in June
2018.[1]

Duties
The Ministry of People's Armed Forces is essentially an umbrella agency gathering the KPA's logistical,
political, and personnel components. The ministry also has departments which coordinate relations with
foreign militaries, as well as regulating Government-owned corporations related to the defence industry
and other foreign currency earning ventures. The ministry, through the General Staff Department is
responsible for the daily operational planning and management of the KPA's ground, naval, and air
commands. It develops strategy, conducts education and training, conveys the orders and guidance of
the KPA Supreme Command and completes certain signals intelligence
Supreme Court of North Korea
The Supreme Court of North Korea, officially the Central Court, is the supreme court and the highest
organ in the judiciary of North Korea.

The Supreme Court is accountable for the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA). The SPA elects its justices,
and the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly its chief justices and jurors.

Normally, the Supreme Court serves as the highest appellate court in North Korea, but in certain legal
cases it is the court of first instance. These cases include crimes against the state. When it is the court of
first instance, the court's decision is always final and cannot be appealed or challenged, despite this
being considered an impediment on the right to a fair trial. Trials of foreigners are always held in the
Supreme Court. A probable reason for this is to decide such cases quickly.

Tasks and organization

As the supreme court of North Korea,[1] it is the highest organ of the judiciary of the country.[2]

The Supreme Court is one of the two main components of the post-1945 judicial system, along with the
Supreme Procurator's Office of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea [ko]. It does not exercise the
power of judicial review over the constitutionality of executive or legislative actions nor does it have an
activist role in protecting the constitutionally guaranteed rights of individuals against state actions.[3]

Its task is to supervise all lower courts in the country,[2] including their trials and proceedings,[1] as well
as the training of judges[3] The Supreme Court also appoints and recalls judges of the special courts[4]
(that is, courts other than local-level: the military and railway special courts).[5]

The Supreme Court is accountable to the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), and when the latter is in
recess, to its Presidium.[6]

The court was initially called the Supreme Court,[7] but later renamed the Central Court. The 2012 Kim
Il-sung–Kim Jong-il Constitution of North Korea restored the Supreme Court as its name,[8] until a SPA
session reverted to the name Central Court in 2016.[9] The court is based in the capital Pyongyang.[2]

Justices

The Supreme Court is staffed by a chief judge or president, two associate chief judges or vice presidents,
and an unknown number of regular judges.[3]

The president and justices are elected and serve for five years.[1] The SPA also elects,[10] and can recall,
the head of the court.[11] The Presidium of the SPA elects other judges of the court,[10] as well as its
jurors.[12]