Created in 2013, the Ministry of Atomic Energy Industry (MAEI) of DPRK focuses on modernizing the country's atomic energy industry, enhancing the production and quality of nuclear materials, and developing a self-reliant nuclear industry. MAEI operates the daily functions of the DPRK's nuclear weapons program, overseeing numerous nuclear-related organizations and research centers, including the Isotope Application Committee, the Nuclear Energy Committee, and a nuclear research center at Yongbyon, the site of DPRK's recognized plutonium facilities. As per the 2015 Panel of Experts report, Ri Je Son, a former director of the GBAE, who was designated by the 1718 Committee in 2009 for engagement in nuclear-related programs, was appointed as the head of MAEI in 2014.
In Paragraphs 27 and 28 (p. 15f.) of the UN Panel of Experts February 2015 report, the Panel has determined the General Bureau of Atomic Energy and the Ministry of Atomic Energy Industry to be the same entity. Due to their separate designation and therefore different UN designation ID, both entities are kept separate in this database.