Korean People's Army Special Operations Forces

Korean People's Army Special Operations Forces
조선인민군 특수작전군
朝鮮人民軍 特殊作戰軍
Chosŏn-inmin'gun teugsujagjeongun
Patch of the Korean People's Army Special Operations Forces (2022–)
Active30 October 1968; 56 years ago (1968-10-30)–present
Country North Korea
Allegiance Workers' Party of Korea
TypeSpecial forces
RoleSpecial operations
Size200,000[1][2][3]
Part of Korean People's Army
Commanders
Chief of the General StaffKorean People's Army Vice Admiral Ri Yong-gil
Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations ForcesColonel General Kim Yong Bok

The Korean People's Army Special Operations Forces (KPASOF; Korean: 조선인민군 특수작전군; Hanja: 朝鮮人民軍 特殊作戰軍; Chosŏn-inmin'gun teugsujagjeongun) are the special forces of Korean People's Army. It performs military, political, and psychological operations. KPASOF actively tests South Korea; activities were detected in the decades following the Korean War.[4][5]

It is commonly estimated that there are 180,000 to 200,000 SOF soldiers.[6] Of this figure only around 60,000 can be considered traditional special forces while the remainder are light infantry.[7]

History

North Korean special operations forces existed by late-1968 when maritime commandos made the unsuccessful Uljin–Samcheok Landings against South Korea.[8] According to Kim Il Sung, the Special Operation Force (then known as the VIII Special Purposes Corps) was "the strongest elite force of the entire Korean People's Army and is the unique vanguard force of the Armed Forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."[9]

A new special forces unit wearing modern combat gear, including night-vision goggles and plate carriers, appeared in the Day of the Sun military parade on 15 April 2017.[10] According to North Korean state media, the new elite unit, the Lightning Commandos, was intended to counter the U.S. Navy SEALs and Republic of Korea Navy Special Warfare Flotilla.[11][12]

On July 27, 2023, soldiers from the 41st Amphibious Assault Battalion marched during a military parade.[13]

Weapons

Name Country of origin Type Notes
Baek Du San  North Korea Semi-automatic pistol CZ-75 copy;[14][15][16] the KPASOF exclusive version features a larger magazine base plate and features a tactical wooden grip in a chest holster
Sterling submachine gun  United Kingdom Submachine gun
vz.61  Czechoslovakia Submachine gun [17]
Type 88  North Korea Carbine AK-105 copy[18] featuring a shortened gas tube, barrel and muzzle brake with top folding stock[19]
Type 88  North Korea Assault rifle Standard issue KPA rifle, AK-74 copy, used with top folding stocks and helical magazine attached[20]
M16A1  North Korea Assault rifle Locally made copies or some provided to North Korea through Vietnam;[17] spotted during the 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident[21][22]
K2  North Korea Assault rifle Locally made copies in production since the 1990s;[23] spotted during their shelling of South Korea across along the Western Front in 2015[24]

Organization

Mission

The missions of the KPA Special Operations Forces are to breach the fixed defense of South Korea, to create a "second front" in the enemy's rear area, and to conduct battlefield and strategic reconnaissance.[25][26]

Airborne

The Antonov An-2 transport aircraft is used for infiltration.[9] The aircraft may conduct paradrops or land on highways.

Reconnaissance Brigades

Sometimes known as "sniper" brigades, they are part of the ground intelligence effort of the KPA.[9] These units also have the ability to perform Direct Action. They train and equip to seize or destroy strategic targets within South Korean territory. Additionally, it is suspected that these units carry out assassination attempts.[9]

Light Infantry

The role of the light infantry is the "rapid infiltration and disruption of enemy rear areas through concealed movement". Missions include the seizure forward area lines of communication, and destruction of high-value targets such as nuclear or chemical sites. The light infantry lack amphibious warfare training, but are otherwise similar to the amphibious light infantry. Places that they may be found include the North China Sea.[9]

Maritime SOF

Estimates reveal that the North Koreans can deliver over 7,000 SOF personnel to each of South Korea's coastlines.[27] Based on the number of ships available to the KPA special forces, they could deliver 5,000 of these soldiers in one lift (approximately 102 amphibious craft).[9] It is expected that these special forces once ashore, will attempt to infiltrate South Korea's rugged terrain to attack the South Koreans in their rear areas just before and during the renewed commencement of hostilities between the two countries.[9] Further, the added capability of a small ship with "stealthy" characteristics enables the commandos the ability to ferry to the South Korean coastline.[28]

Like other special forces around the world, close coordination with their sister services provides the needed transportation around the battlefield. For the Maritime SOF, the most commonly used component for modern infiltration has been using the KPA Navy's submarines. The KPA Navy has 24 Romeo class diesel electric submarines.[9] These submarines are used primarily in coastal areas and are an excellent platform to deposit units offshore. Specially outfitted Sang-O class submarines carry a small crew of nineteen and serve the sole purpose of coastal infiltration. Finally, the KPA Navy possesses at least forty-five midget submarines ideally suited to infiltrate two to five man teams into South Korean territory.[29] Such small submarines prove difficult to detect among the rugged coastlines of the Korean Peninsula.

References

  1. ^ "Military Stalemate: How North Korea Could Win a War with the US".
  2. ^ "2016 Defense White Paper" (PDF). Ministry of National Defense. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  3. ^ "North Korean Special Operations Forces: Hovercraft Bases (Part I)". 25 January 2018.
  4. ^ Parry, Richard Lloyd (June 24, 1998). "Captured sub shames North Korea". The Independent. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
  5. ^ Kristof, Nicholas D. (November 6, 1996). "One Commando Still At Large In Korea Submarine Manhunt". The New York Times. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
  6. ^ "N.Korea Boosts Special Forces, Conventional Arms".
  7. ^ Mitzer & Oliemans 2020, pp. 83–84.
  8. ^ Bolger, Daniel P., "Scenes from an Unfinished War: Low Intensity Conflict in Korea, 1966–1969", Leavenworth Papers No. 19, Combat Studies Institute, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, p. 86
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Bermudez, Joseph S. Jr., "North Korean Special Forces" (1988), Jane‘s Publishing Company, Surrey, United Kingdom[page needed]
  10. ^ "N.Korea Touts Special Ops Forces". Chosun Ilbo. Archived from the original on 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  11. ^ ARIRANG NEWS (17 April 2017). "N.Korea state media confirms new special forces unit unveiled during Saturday's parade". Archived from the original on 2021-12-20 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ Jones, Brian Adam (21 April 2017). "Why North Korea's Special Operations Forces Should Not Be Underestimated". Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  13. ^ "Why North Korea debuted a new battalion to hunt down South Korean 'pi…". Archived from the original on 2023-08-29.
  14. ^ Shea, Dan; Hong, Heebum (1 June 2012). "NORTH KOREAN SMALL ARMS (DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA)". Small Arms Review. Chipotle Publishing. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  15. ^ Mitzer & Oliemans (2020), p. 31.
  16. ^ "Kim Jong Un gifts guns to army officers as North Korea marks war anni…". Archived from the original on 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2024-09-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  17. ^ a b Mitzer & Oliemans (2020), p. 87.
  18. ^ "The Elite Small Arms Of North Korea". Archived from the original on 2023-10-17.
  19. ^ Mitzer & Oliemans (2020), p. 32.
  20. ^ "North Korean Helical AK Magazines – Armament Research Services". armamentresearch.com. 4 February 2014.
  21. ^ "A Weapon Displayed From North Korea Special Forces and their Submarine". MBC News. 25 September 1996.
  22. ^ "Equipment of North Korean Special Forces and Espionage". Yu Yong-won's Military World, Chosun Ilbo. 16 April 2013.
  23. ^ "시사저널 – 북한 5만 특공대, 저공 침투 대기중". sisapress.com. 19 September 1996. Archived from the original on 3 June 2018.
  24. ^ Sang-Hun, Choe (20 August 2015). "North Korea and South Korea Trade Fire Across Border, Seoul Says". The New York Times.
  25. ^ Handbook, North Korea, Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington, D.C., 1993, p. 3-119
  26. ^ Savada, Andrea Matles, ed. (1994). North Korea: a country study (4th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. p. 224. ISBN 0-8444-0794-1. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  27. ^ Military Review, "Solving Threat SOF Challenges", MarApr 98, General John H. Tilelli Jr., U.S. Army, and Lieutenant Colonel William P. Gerhardt, U.S. Army
  28. ^ Major Troy P. Krause (U.S.), "Countering North Korean Special Purpose Forces", Air Command and Staff College, Air University, April 1999, Accessed 30 May 2009
  29. ^ Andrew Toppan, "World Navies Today: North Korea", Hazegray Online, Accessed 30 May 2009

Bibliography

  • Mitzer, Stijn.; Oliemans, Joost (2020). The Armed Forces of North Korea: On the Path of Songun. Helion and Company. ISBN 9781910777145.