The Cabinet, as the executive branch of the North Korean state, is responsible for implementing the state's economic policies, as guided by the Workers' Party. The cabinet is not responsible for defense and security issues, as those are handled by the
State Affairs Commission. Thus, the security organizations such as the
Korean People's Army,
Ministry of Social Security and
State Security Department report and subordinated directly to the SAC, whose chairman holds full power as the supreme leader of the republic and the party and overall commander-in-chief of all uniformed forces. The Cabinet convenes a plenary meeting and an executive meeting. The plenary meeting consists of all the Cabinet members, while the executive meeting is kind of a
presidium, and comprises fewer people, including the Premier, vice premier and other Cabinet members whom the Premier nominates. The cabinet
acts in the form of decisions and directives. In the performance of its mandate the Cabinet is empowered by the Constitution to: • adopt measures to execute state policy. • institute, amend, and supplement regulations concerning state management based on the Constitution and ministerial laws. • guide the work of the Cabinet commissions, ministries, direct ministries and subordinate agencies of the Cabinet and the local people's committees • set up and remove direct ministries and agencies, main administrative economic organizations, and enterprises, and adopt measures to improve the State management structure. • draft the State plan for the development of the national economy and adopt measures to put it into effect. • compile the State budget and adopt measures to implement it. • organize and exercise works in the fields of industry, agriculture, construction, transportation, communications, commerce, trade, land management, city management, education, science, culture, health, physical training, labor administration, environmental protection, tourism and others. • adopt measures to strengthen the monetary and banking system. • do inspection and control work to establish a state management order. • adopt measures to maintain social order, protect State and social cooperation body's possession and interests, and to guarantee citizens’ rights. • conclude treaties with foreign countries, and conduct external activities. • abolish decisions and directions by economic administrative organs, which run counter to the decisions or directions made by its members. Those Cabinet ministries that oversee economic sectors also control groups of industries called "complexes". These complexes consist of partially or fully state-owned industrial facilities like factories, mines, or farms, depending on the sector. At a local level, the Cabinet supervises the
Local People's Committees. ==Structure==