The Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA; Korean: 내무부) was a cabinet-level ministry of the South Korean government. It was one of eleven initial cabinet-level ministries created with the establishment of the South Korean government and the passage of the Government Organization Act in 1948. In February 1998, the Ministry of Home Affairs was merged with the Ministry of Government Administration to create the Ministry of the Interior.
The Ministry of Home Affairs oversaw a wide range of internal affairs, including regional administration, public security, civil defense, and firefighting.
Administration and History
On July 17, 1948, on the same day the South Korean Constitution was announced, the Constituent National Assembly of the Republic of Korea ratified the Government Organization Act as its first legislative act. The Government Organization Act provided for the creation of 11 cabinet-level ministries, including the Ministry of Home Affairs. Succeeding the United States Army Military Government in Korea, the government of the Republic of Korea was officially promulgated on August 15, 1948, and the Ministry of Home Affairs was formally organized on November 4 of the same year.
The Ministry of Home Affairs was headed by a Minister of Home Affairs, who was also a member of the State Council. Three bureaus—the Bureau of Public Safety (치안국), the Bureau of Local Administration (지방국), and the Bureau of Construction (건설국)—consisted of the ministry at the time of its founding. The powers and jurisdiction of the ministry shifted vastly following the various reforms of the South Korean government. Affiliated agencies of the ministry included various organizations related to public security, including the Korean National Police University, the National Fire Service Academy, and the National Forensic Service.
In February 1998, the Kim Dae-jung administration finalized its plans to combine the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Government Administration as part of its policies to strengthen local government. On February 28, the two agencies merged together to form the Ministry of the Interior following the National Assembly's amendment to the Government Organization Act.