This is part of a larger series examining some of North Korea’s key institutions. The series has also covered the State Affairs Commission, the Politburo and the Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, the Supreme People’s Assembly, the Cabinet of Ministers and non-Party organizations. 

The DPRK is a highly militarized state. In addition to having the longest conscription term on the planet – ten years for men and three to six for women – many of the country’s organizations have distinctly military-like features.

First of all, the DPRK police and, especially, the secret police