The Ministry of Defence ( Korean : 국방성 ; Hancha : 國防省 , formerly 인민무력성/人民武力省 or Ministry of the People's Armed Forces ) is the government agency under the State Affairs Commission tasked with general administrative and logistical coordination of the Korean People's Army (KPA). The current Minister of National Defence is General No Kwang-chol .
7-848: The General Political Bureau ( GPB ) is a department of the Ministry of Defence , used by the leadership of the North Korean government to exert political control over the Korean People's Army (KPA). The GPB operates under the direction of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea . The GPB controls units of the KPA on all levels down to company level. It primarily exerts control through propaganda, education, and cultural activities. Under directions of
14-663: The Constitution of North Korea shifts its control to the National Defence Commission. The 2016 amendment shifted its control to the State Affairs Commission . The Ministry of Defence 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
21-587: The State Affairs Commission of North Korea , it also controls troop movements. As of January 2023, the Director of the General Political Bureau is Jong Kyong-thaek , who succeeded Kwon Yong-jin . During Kim Jong Il 's Songun (military first) era in particular, the GPB remained relatively independent and unchanged for decades. In the 3rd WPK Representatives Conference held in 2010, GPB
28-594: 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 tasks. The Ministry of National Defence contains
35-504: The GPB, the first of its kind in 20 years. The inspection was carried out by Choe Ryong-hae . The GPB director Hwang Pyong-so was punished, and removed from his position as Standing Commissioner. The 8th WPK Congress held in 2021 also oversaw the demotion of the GPB, no longer being equal to the Central Committee. Some of GPB's functions were also transferred to the newly established Military-Political Leadership Department of
42-810: The WPK CC. Ministry of Defence (North Korea) Until December 1972, the Minister of the People's Armed Forces was called the Minister of National Defence (민족보위상). It then changed to the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces. Prior to 1992, it was under the direct control of supreme commander and president , with guidance from the National Defence Commission and the Workers' Party Central Military Commission . The 1992 amendment to
49-545: Was granted equal status to the Central Committee of the WPK . During this time, it has been called as the internal politburo of the KPA. However, the influence of the GPB has decreased under Kim Jong Un 's rule; after the 7th Congress of the WPK held in, the party had regained enough power to exert influence over the GPB. Consequentially, in 2017 the party Central Committee was ordered to carry out an inspection of
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