Ministry of State Security (North Korea)
| Ministry of State Security of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 조선민주주의인민공화국 국가보위성 | |
|---|---|
Flag used by the MoSS | |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1973 |
| Employees | Civilian police, Secret police |
| Annual budget | Classified |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | North Korea |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Pyongyang |
| 39°4′29″N 125°46′7″E / 39.07472°N 125.76861°E | |
| Elected officers responsible |
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| Agency executive |
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| Parent agency | State Affairs Commission of North Korea |
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| Ministry of State Security | |
| Hangul | 국가보위성 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 國家保衛省 |
| RR | Gukga bowiseong |
| MR | Kukka powisŏng |
The Ministry of State Security of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국 국가보위성) is the secret police agency of North Korea. It is an autonomous agency of the North Korean government reporting directly to the Supreme Leader. The agency is reputed to be one of the most brutal secret police forces in the world, and it has been involved in numerous human rights abuses.
It is one of two agencies that provide security or protection to North Korean officials and VIPs, alongside the Supreme Guard Command. The MSS was known by its nickname as Saeng-Gaggyeongchal (Korean: 생각경찰) meaning North Korea's Thought Police under Kim Jong-un's reign as leader since taking power in December 2011.