DPRK Special Operations Forces

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits one of the KPA Special Operations Forces bases, October 2024.
The DPRK Armed Forces or the Korean People's Army include several main branches of the armed forces, among which the Special Operations Forces occupy a special place. The SSO is one of the most closed structures in the country, and almost nothing is known about them. Nevertheless, this branch of the armed forces invariably attracts attention outside the DPRK, and the lack of information only fuels interest in it.
Secrets and secrets
The Korean People's Army (KPA) is a closed structure, and therefore there is not much detailed and reliable information about it. The same fully applies to the Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the DPRK. In fact, only the fact of their existence is known and confirmed, while other details remain questionable.
Most of the information about the KPA SOF comes from foreign sources. This includes intelligence data, intelligence analysis, and information provided by defectors. How much of this information corresponds to reality is a big question.
Foreign reports on the Korean special forces do not give a complete picture and often contradict each other. However, they allow us to roughly imagine what the DPRK special forces might be like and what they are capable of.

Special forces at the shooting range
According to available data…
According to various sources, the DPRK began creating its first special units no later than the mid-1960s. These units were intended both to perform special tasks in peacetime and to participate in a hypothetical future war with South Korea.
It is assumed that the future KPA SOF began with infantry units that received special training. Over time, these units expanded, their equipment was improved, and their training plans were changed. In addition, the SOF began to be supplemented by new formations of various types and purposes. In particular, they acquired their own landing and naval units.
The combat work of the new branch of the armed forces began only a few years after its creation. Thus, in January 1968, a unit of North Korean special forces penetrated the territory of the Republic of Korea and attempted to attack the presidential residence in Seoul. The operation failed, but the DPRK special forces inflicted significant damage on the enemy police and army.

Demonstration of physical fitness
In the following years, the KPA Special Operations Forces repeatedly carried out various operations. Some of them were made public, while others remained classified. The special operations forces operated both on land and at sea, near the demilitarized zone and in other areas.
current status
The KPA SOF continues to exist and actively develop, as well as prepare to perform various tasks in the most difficult conditions. According to available data, at the moment the SOF actually represent a small army within the armed forces. This is reflected both in their numbers and in their operational capabilities.
All KPA special forces units are considered to be part of the 11th Army Corps of the Ground Forces. The headquarters of this formation is located in Tokchon. Its subordinate military units are distributed throughout the country, with the largest number of them concentrated in the south, closer to the border with the hostile neighbor.
The total number of SOF is estimated in a wide range. According to the Military Balance 2024 reference book, there are about 88 thousand servicemen in their ranks. However, other foreign studies may include in the SOF not only the 11th Corps, but also "regular" formations of the ground forces. Such a calculation brings the number of special forces to 150-200 thousand people.

Diving unit
The 11th Corps includes up to 25 reconnaissance battalions. It is assumed that these are the main forces of the Special Operations Forces, intended to carry out a wide range of combat missions. They are the ones who must conduct reconnaissance and sabotage in the enemy's rear, or assist the main forces of the army at the front.
The SSO also includes up to nine light infantry brigades, which are intended to directly participate in combat and serve as reinforcements for the main groups. Similar tasks are carried out by fighters from several specialized sniper brigades.
The KPA Special Operations Forces have the capability to land troops. The reconnaissance battalions receive the appropriate training. In addition, the 11th Corps has specialized airborne brigades and marine brigades.
Equipment and preparation
SSO units regularly take part in military parades. They are also involved in training exercises, and sometimes demonstration performances are held. Materials from these events allow us to determine the approximate composition of the material part of the Special Operations Forces.

Air Troopers
Special Operations Forces soldiers are usually armed with standard small arms. weapons KPA. At parades, you can see assault rifles or sniper rifles of the basic models. At the same time, unusual models, such as assault rifles with high-capacity magazines, regularly appear in the ranks.
The SSO equipment park is based on the army's equipment as a whole. The units have a variety of vehicles and light armored vehicles. Does the special forces have Tanks и artillery, unknown. If necessary, the SSO may involve aviation units from the Air Force. They apparently do not have their own aviation. To support operations at sea and on the coast, they have various boats, landing craft and, presumably, small submarines.
The training of special forces fighters differs from the general army training. During the training, special attention is paid to all the main issues - from physical training to mastery of equipment. Probably, servicemen undergo several training courses, receiving a whole range of important skills and specialties.
During the training, the SOF fighters study different tactics and prepare for action in various conditions. It is believed that a significant part of this course is preparation for sabotage and guerrilla activity on enemy territory. The special forces also learn to fight the enemy SOF on their own territory.

SSO at one of the parades
The topic of training KPA Special Forces fighters is of great interest to the foreign press and experts. At the same time, there are many rumors and speculations circulating around this issue, including the most implausible ones. It is mentioned that special forces soldiers undergo special physical and ideological processing, as a result of which they become a cruel and inexorable weapon of Pyongyang. It is the ideological aspects that are given special attention, right up to the appearance and dissemination of frankly absurd rumors.
multipurpose tool
Thus, like other countries with modern armies, the DPRK has its own Special Operations Forces. They are organized as a separate branch of the ground forces and have their own range of tasks, which they solve independently or together with other structures.
Based on the available information, it can be assumed that the KPA SOF are not fundamentally different from similar formations in other countries. They are a kind of army within an army, with a number of important advantages. The special forces are better trained, equipped with more modern equipment and gear. However, this comes at a price - solving the most difficult tasks, often in non-standard conditions and with increased risks.
In the past, the KPA SOF have demonstrated their capabilities in one form or another and carried out real operations. Right now, they are continuing to prepare for new missions and are awaiting orders. How soon and in what form they will have to conduct combat operations again is still unknown.
Information