Language
Country/Area
No result found
At the Turning Point of History: How did North Korea's Special Forces get from the Cold War to today?
North Korea's special forces, or the Korean People's Army Special Operations Force (KPASOF), have played a special role in the security situation on the Korean Peninsula since the Cold War. These forces not only carry out military missions, but are also involved in political and psychological operations, and have continued to provoke South Korea in the decades after the Korean War. Today, the influence of North Korea's special forces has become increasingly prominent, becoming an important window for observing the dynamics of the Korean Peninsula.
Historical BackgroundEstimates of the North's special forces force range from 180,000 to 200,000 personnel, of which about 60,000 can be considered traditional special forces and the rest are light infantry.
North Korea's special operations forces have existed since 1968, when they participated as marine commandos in the abortive Uljin-Samcheok landing operation. Kim Il-sung, the North Korean leader at the time, once said that the special operations forces were the strongest elite force in the entire army, and pointed out that it was the unique vanguard force of the Korean People's Army. Over time, North Korea has also gradually modernized its military equipment.
For example, during the 2017 Sun Day military parade, North Korea debuted a new special forces unit called the Lightning Commando, which is designed to counter the U.S. Navy SEALs and the South Korean Navy Special Warfare Strike Group, representing This indicates that North Korea is improving its strategic combat capabilities.
Mission and Operations
The main tasks of North Korean special forces include breaking through South Korea's fixed defenses, establishing a "second front" behind enemy lines, and conducting battlefield and strategic reconnaissance. These missions are performed in a variety of ways, with the main means of transport for airborne operations being the Antonov An-2 transport aircraft, which can not only perform airborne operations but can also land on highways.
Organizational structure of special forces
Reconnaissance Brigade
North Korea's reconnaissance brigades, also known as "sniper" brigades, have become an important part of North Korea's ground intelligence work. These troops are able to intercept or destroy strategic targets in South Korea and are even suspected of carrying out assassination missions.
Light Infantry
The duty of light infantry is to quickly infiltrate and disrupt operations behind enemy lines through covert operations. Their missions include controlling forward communications routes and destroying high-value targets such as nuclear or chemical facilities. Despite their lack of amphibious warfare training, their missions are similar to those of amphibious light infantry and they often operate in areas such as the North China Sea.
Maritime Special Operations Forces
North Korea's maritime special forces have a strong capability to deploy more than 7,000 special operators to the South Korean coastline. Depending on the number of ships North Korea has, these forces could transport about 5,000 troops at a time into enemy-held areas in South Korea.
Maritime special operations forces have become more capable of penetration with the use of small submarines, which are difficult to detect along rugged coastlines and can conduct rapid infiltration operations by small task forces.
Weapons and Equipment
As the special forces evolve, North Korea's weaponry is also constantly being updated. In line with modern tactical requirements, the North Korean special forces are equipped with not only traditional light weapons, but also modern combat equipment such as night vision equipment and bulletproof vests, which further enhance their combat effectiveness. The advances reflect North Korea's strategy to survive in a brutal military competition.
Conclusion
As North Korea's special forces continue to develop and interact with its complex domestic and international environment, we have to think about its long-term impact on regional security. What is the future of North Korea’s special forces? Will they play a more important role in the new Cold War landscape?
