Ministry of National Defense (Menghe)
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The Ministry of National Defense (Menghean: 국방부 / 國防部, Gukbangbu), often abbreviated MoND in Anglian-language literature, is the cabinet-level agency tasked with overseeing and managing the Menghean Armed Forces.
The Minister of National Defense, currently Kim Jŏng-min, is appointed by the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Menghe, currently Choe Sŭng-min. Choe concurrently holds the post of Supreme Commander of the Menghean Armed Forces, which serves mainly to clarify his position as commander-in-chief. By convention, the Minister of National Defense also sits on the Central Steering Committee of the Supreme Council of Menghe, giving him a key role in critical decisions within the civilian government.
History
Menghe's first modern, Western-style cabinet was assembled under the Federal Republic of Menghe, the unified government established in 1900. Like many other countries at the time, the Federal Republic of Menghe had a Ministry of War, which dealt specifically with the Army, and a Ministry of the Navy, which dealt with naval affairs.
Division between ministries intensified Army-Navy interservice rivalry, a problem which continued after the formation of the Greater Menghean Empire in 1927. Redundant procurement systems created inefficiencies in design and production, and disagreement over national strategic goals led to disorganized planning before and during the Pan-Septentrion War.
When the Democratic People's Republic of Menghe organized its new cabinet in 1964, its leaders deliberately chose a unified Ministry of Defense, in the hopes that this would rein in interservice rivalry and streamline procurement. The Menghean People's Communist Party also saw the Ministry of Defense, a civilian government body, as a tool for maintaining limited control over the Army and Navy, which were staffed by Nationalist personnel and had been guaranteed some autonomy under the Sangwŏn Agreement.
Following the Decembrist Revolution and the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Menghe, the Ministry of Defense has been exclusively referred to as the Ministry of National Defense in official Anglian-language literature, even though its Menghean-language form has not changed. Its organization also remains largely the same, with the Army and Navy subordinate to its unified command, and liaison offices to the MPCP replaced by liaison offices to the MSP.
Civilian-military ties
While in many other countries the Ministry of Defense serves to subordinate the armed forces to a civilian authority, in Menghe this is not necessarily the case. In the Federative Republic of Menghe and the Greater Menghean Empire, the Ministries of War and Navy served as leadership offices for their respective branches, and were headed by a high-ranking officer appointed at the request of the branch in question. The DPRM likewise did not exert direct authority over the Army and Navy in administrative affairs, giving both organizations limited autonomy and serving mainly as a common route for procurement and funding.
The boundary between state and military power has become even more blurred under the leadership of Choe Sŭng-min, who came to power in a military coup and temporarily ruled the country through a military junta. During the interim period, Choe granted himself the rank of Supreme Marshal, and created the post of Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, which he holds concurrently with Chairman of the Supreme Council and General-Secretary of the Menghean Socialist Party. Thus, his power as commander-in-chief stems not from his civilian role but from his dual role as the highest-ranking officer in both branches. A Major-General before his rise to power, Choe regularly wears a military uniform, and could just as plausibly be classified as a military official administering a civilian government.
Since 1988, all Ministers of National Defense have held a General- or Admiral-grade post in the Army or Navy prior to appointment, and all have had their rank increased to Marshal upon or prior to appointment. Appointment decisions are made by the Chairman of the Supreme Council, but back-room recommendations by Army and Navy officials may drive the selection of candidates. Because the Minister of Defense sits on the Steering Committee of the Supreme Council, this arrangement effectively gives the military a say in any top-level decisions with implications for national security.