North Korea Military
North Korea Military - the DPRK has the 4th largest army in the world. Many consider it one of the strongest and most feared. Right now the "Military First" policy ("Songun Chongch'i") gives priority to national military force.
Still technically at war with South Korea, it is fairly common to see people in military uniform when travelling in North Korea. Below are some basic facts regarding the DPRK's military.
Name: Korean People's Army (KPA)
Foundation: February 8, 1948
Supreme Commander: Kim Jong Un
Conscription age: 17 years
DPRK Ground Forces
Most important component of the KPA. A large amount of forces are located close to the DMZ.
Personnel: 1.1 million active (estimate)
Equipment: traditionally Soviet and Chinese, there is now local production. New trucks, tanks and other infantry models have been added recently and older ones are well maintained.
Special features: the DPRK has the second largest special military operations force in the world. They have been specifically trained for local mountainous topographic conditions.
Navy
The North Korean Navy is the military branch with less priority in the DPRK.
Name: Korean People's Navy (KPN)
Fleet: 706 ships, 24 submarines
Headquarters: Nampho (west coast fleet) Toejodong (east coast fleet)
Personnel: 47, 000 (estimate)
Please see our USS Pueblo
section to read information involving the KPN and the US navy.
Air Force
Name: Korean People's Air Force (KPAF)
Personnel: 112,000 (estimate)
Aircraft: 1,800 (estimate)
The KPAF is defensive. Most bases are well protected against potential attacks with underground areas and runways.
Workers' Peasant Red Guards
Defence force formed by civilians mainly in second tier cities, towns and North Korean villages.
Personnel: 3.6 million (estimate)
Related pages:
Kaesong North Korea | KTG® Tours' Ultimate Travel Guide
Kaesong North Korea Travel Guide | KTG® Tours | Ancient Treasures, Dog Meat Soup and the Cold War... located 8 km north from the DMZ (Pamunjom) in North Korea. Our North Korea tours include stopping at this historical city, capital of Koryo; the first unified state on the Korean peninsula
Panmunjom | KTG® Tours | DMZ Tours in North Korea
Panmunjom | KTG® Tours | Is it really the scariest place on Earth? Visit the DMZ from the North Korean side. Interested in seeing what the DPRK version of the Korean War is? See where the Korean War armistice was signed at the world's most militarised border and step into South Korea
North Korea History - Information on the DPRK & North Korea Tours
North Korea History - information on the history of north korea. North Korea Travel provides budget north korea tours & north korea information which will be handy when traveling to the DPRK.
North Korea Museums | KTG® Tours | The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, Pyongyang
North Korea Museums | KTG® Tours | The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum is in Pyongyang and has extremely vivid illustrations, weapons used during the Korean Civil War (1950-3) and scene reconstructions
Sinchon | KTG® Tours | US War Atrocities Museum in North Korea's (DPRK) South Hwanghae Province
Sinchon | KTG® Tours | is a county in South Hwanghae Province in North Korea. The US Massacre Museum graphically displays crimes reportedly committed there by American soldiers on Korean civilians in the Korean War
Concrete Wall Kaesong, North Korea | KTG® Tours' Ultimate Travel Guide
The Concrete Wall (Kaesong, North Korea) | KTG® Tours | A Symbol of Division and Conflict. A North Korean military officer waits for us at a remote military post 27 km east of Kaesong. He will explain to you how this wall literally cuts through the Korean peninusla, running parallel to the DMZ
Please click on our North Korea Information section to go from our page on the North Korea Military to read non statistical information about the DPRK.
