The department was renamed back to the Ministry of Social Security in September 1998 and became subordinate to the Cabinet.

[4] In April 2010, the ministry became the People's Security Department (Korean: 인민보안부) and was transferred to the control of the National Defence Commission.

[4] In 2016, the department was renamed back to the Ministry of People's Security and became subordinate to the State Affairs Commission.

[7] The main duties of the Ministry of Social Security include policing, protecting key government installations and transport, as well as monitoring the public distribution system and providing bodyguards to important persons.

[8] It consists of five child agencies - the Railway Security Bureau, which guards important routes of travel and transport within the DPRK, the Financial Intelligence Agency, which combats money-laundering, extortion and other financial crimes, the Protection Bureau, which is responsible for fire protection, traffic control, public health, and customs, the Corrections Bureau, which operates the brutal prison system in North Korea, and the Social Security Forces, which effectively serve as a Gendarmerie and riot police force.

Aside from general policing, the Ministry of Social Security through the Registration Bureau is also responsible for issuing North Korean identity documents to North Korean citizens investigates serious crimes such as theft, extortion and blackmail.