FUNCTIONS OF NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A002800870010-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 10, 2013
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: November 17, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

r,nx1 -HUM
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/10: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA002800870010-8
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794. of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person Is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form Is prohibited.
Functions of North Korean Government DATE DISTR. 17 November 1953
Organizations
Comment.
NO. OF PAGES 3
REQUIREMENT 50X1-HUM
50X1-HUM
REFERENCES
50X1-HUM
xurni.snes aaaitiona1 bacligrounu
and a roster of personnel connected with many of the organizations described
in the present report, and should be used as a supplement. The two reports do
not include, however, information on the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of
Justice, the Ministry of Communications, and the Ministry of City Construction),
also known as the Ministry of City Planning.
Supreme Peoples Council and Standing Committee
1. The Supreme Peoples Council., which is composed of delegates elected by the
people of each province of North Korea, is the legislative body of the North
Korean government. The Council has not met since June 1950. KIM Tu-pong
(6855/2122/1144) was Chief of the Council in February 1953. The Standing
Committee within the Supreme Peoples Council, which was also headed by KIM
Tu-pong, consisted of a group of Council members elected by the Council itself.
The Standing Committee performed the functions of the Council when the latter
body was not in session. In effect,, therefore, the Standing Committee did
the actual work of the Council. The Standing Committee did not exercise any
dependent authority, but acted in such a way as to present a semblance of
hmocratic government by holding periodic meetings and passing official decrees.
Exdelpt in cases concerning minor matters, these decrees were issued as directed
by the Premier or Cabinet.
North Korean Ubi net
2. The Cabinet included the Premier, the five vice-premiers, the ministers, and
all chiefs of departments which had cabinet rank. The Cabinet has sometimes
been incorrectly described as including only the Premier and the five vice-
premiers. Ministers and cabinet department chiefs. however attended the
meetings of the Cabinet. On the other hdndp cabinet orders were direct orders
(Note, Washington Distribution Indkat d BY "t"i Field Didributlen lY "#"?I
AEC QRR Ev x
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/10: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA002800870010-8
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/10: CIA-RDP80-00810A002800870010-8
from the premier and the vice-premiers. The vice-premiers exercised direct
control over the ministries., departments of cabinet rank., the National Planning
Board, and the Peoples Inspection Committee., with each vice-premier taking
responsibility for certain ministries and departments.
3. In February 1953, government departments which had cabinet rank were as follows:
a. Cabinet Staff Members Department.
b, Cabinet Secretariat Department.
c. Cabinet Statistics Department., which was the Bureau of Statistics under the
National Planning Board until November 1951, when it was separated from the
Board and established as a cabinet rank department.
d. Cabinet Electric Power Department., which was the Bureau of Electric Power
under the Ministry of Industry until December 1951, when the Ministry of
Industry was reorganized and the Cabinet Electric Power Department was
established.
e. Cabinet Procurement Department, which was formerly the Bureau of Procure-
ment under the Ministry of Commerce.
f. Cabinet Forestry Department, which was established early in 1952 when the
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry was reorganized and renamed the
Ministry of Agriculture,
g. Cabinet Transportation Department, which was established early in 1952 when
the Ministry of Transportation was abolished and the Ministry of Railway
Transportation was created, as noted below.
Military Commission
4. The Military Commission, which was established in June 1950 and is considered
the supreme authority on military matters, was headed by Premier KIM I1-song.
The Commission was responsible for drawing up orders concerning military
activities. These orders were passed directly to the ministries and depart-
ments concerned.
Peoples Inspection Committee
5. The Peoples Inspection Committee, headed by YI Sung-yopl (2621/2573/97.56), was
formerly the Ministry of National Inspection. The Ministry was reorganized and
renamed the Peoples Inspection Committee in October 1952 and given a rank
superior to the ministries. This was drone because the Ministry of National
Inspection had not previously had the power to inspect the internal affairs of
the other ministries. In February 1953 the Peoples Inspection Committee was
responsible for investigating the manner in which all ministries, cabinet rank
departments, and provincial government agencies carried out their assignments.
One of the Committee's functions was to look for violations of the national
laws and check on failures of government organizations to complete the orders
and obey the decisions of higher authorities. The chairman of the Committee
reported directly to the Cabinet, which determined the action to be taken.
National Planning Board
6. The National Planning Board,2 under the direction of its chairman, CE:SNG Chun-
t'aek (6774/3294/3419), and with the assistance of the Cabinet Statistics Depart-
ment, established national production requirements for the ministries and cabinet
rank departments. The Board, however, could not issue an order to a ministry
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/10: CIA-RDP80-00810A002800870010-8
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/10: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA002800870010-8
SECRET 50X1-HUM
-3-
or cabinet rank department. These organizations submitted their requests and
plans to the Board. The.Board then determined whether the figures for these
plans or requests coordinated with the figures for the annual national plan
which had been drawn up by the Board. The Board forwarded all plans and requests
to the vice-premier who was responsible for the particular ministry or department
which had submitted them. In some cases, plans were submitted to the Cabinet
for final approval. If a vice-premier approved a plan, he notified the Ministry
which had submitted it. If the plan called for materials in excess of the
National Planning Board's estimates, the vice-premier submitted the problem to
the Cabinet for a solution.
Ministry of Chemistry and Construction Materials
7.
On 21 May 1952 the Department of Chemical Industry Control and the Department
of Construction Materials were removed from the control of the Ministry of
Heavy Industry and established as the Ministry of Chemistry and Construction
Materials. In February 1953 this ministry had the following departments:
a. Department of Chemical Industry Control.
b. Department of Construction Material Control.
c. Department of Ceramics.
Ministry of Railway Transportation
8. In early 1952 the Ministry of Transportation was abolished and its Depart-
ment of Land Transportation and Department of Sea Transportation were combined
to form the Cabinet Transportation Department. At the same time, the Depart-
ment of Railway Transportation Control, which had been under the Ministry of
Transportation, was established as the Ministry of Railway Transportation.
In February 1953 this ministry controlled all railway transportation in North
Korea.
Ministry of Culture and Propaganda
9. This ministry consisted of the following departments:
a. Department of Film Control.
b. Department of Printing and Book Publications.
c. Department of Propaganda and Agitation.
Ministry of Education
10. This ministry controlled all educational institutions in North Korea with the
exception of technical institutions which were under the control of ministries
in charge of technical affairs.
50X1-HUM
Comment. YI Sung-yop was removed from
his office in February 1 53.
between 2 July and 7 ugust 195 i- O was
chairman o he Peoples nspection Committee.
Comment. The National Planning Board is also known as the National
Flanning Committee, the State Planning Committee, and the National Planning
Commission.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/06/10: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA002800870010-8