officer rank Proclaim a state of emergency and mobilization order Issue decisions and orders The 1998 amendment to the 1972 Constitution made the National Defence Commission as the highest governing institution in North Korea and was designated the following functions as the "supreme military leadership and overall national defence management institution of state power": Direct the whole armed forces and defence upbuilding of the State Establish or abolish central bodies in the field of national defence Appoint or remove important military cadres Enact military ranks and confer military ranks higher than a general Proclaim a state of war and mobilization order in the country Issue orders and decisions The 2009 amendment to the 1972 Constitution relegated the National Defence Commission to a supervisory role as certain powers were introduced for the chairman of the National Defence Commission. The following functions were mandated for the National Defence Commission as the "supreme national defence leadership institution of state power": Establish important policies of the state for carrying out the military-first revolutionary line Guide the overall armed forces and defense-building work of the state Supervise the status of executing the orders of the chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the decisions and directives of the National Defence Commission, and establish relevant measures Rescind the decisions and directives of state organs that run counter to the orders of the chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and to the decisions and directives of the National Defence Commission Establish or abolish central organs of the national defense sector Institute military titles and confer military titles above the general grade officer rank Issue decisions and directives The National Defence Commission is responsible to the Supreme People's Assembly. As a defense issues guider and coordinator, the security organizations in North Korea are subordinate to the Commission and among them are the Korean People's Army, the Ministry of People's Armed Forces and the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Social Security. Organization From 1972 until 2012, the National Defence Commission consisted of a chairman, first vice chairman, vice chairmen and members. The Chairman of the National Defence Commission was the head of the commission, and was the de facto highest official in North Korea from 1998 until 2009 and the de jure supreme leader of North Korea from 2009 until 2012. The