North Korea Ground Force - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Korean People's Army
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army , also known as the Inmin Gun, are the military forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Kim Jong-il is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of the National Defence Commission...

Ground Force is the army

Army

An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...

of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

History

The force was formed in the late 1940s and it outnumbered and outgunned the South Korean Army on the outbreak of the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

in June 1950. North Korean ground forces formations which fought in the Korean War included the II

II Corps (North Korea)

II Corps is a corps of the Korean People's Army. It was created on June 12, 1950 with Lt. General Kim Kwang-hyop in command. During the Korean War the unit was composed of the 2nd Infantry Division, the 13th Mechanised Division, and the 27th Infantry Division.The 27th Infantry Division was part of...

and V Corps

V Corps (North Korea)

V Corps of the Korean People's Army was created before January, 1951.Consisted of at least 3 divisions on January 7, 1951, when 2 divisions attacked the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division in a frontal attack, while a third division attacked from the northwest against the adjacent ROK 8th Division...

, the 105th Armored Division

105th Armored Division (North Korea)

The 105th Armored Division is a military formation of the Korean People's Army. It was North Korea's first armored unit and took part in the Korean War.-Formation and structure:...

, the 1st

1st Division (North Korea)

The 1st Infantry Division is a military formation of the Korean People's Army.It was part of the North Korean advance from Seoul to Taejon.Fought in the Battle of Pusan Perimeter....

, 2nd

2nd Division (North Korea)

The 2nd Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army that fought during the Korean War. It is uncertain when the unit was originally raised, however, it is believed to have been formed sometime between 1946 and 1947...

, 3rd

3rd Division (North Korea)

The 3rd Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century.-Formation and composition:The exact date of formation is in dispute, but it occurred sometime between May 1947 and October 1948, at Pyongyang. In its organization, the 35d Division seemed to...

, 4th

4th Division (North Korea)

-History:The 4th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century.Activated in late 1948, the 4th Infantry Division in the summer of 1950 consisted of the 5th, 16th, and 18th Infantry regiments, plus an artillery regiment and antitank, self-propelled...

, 5th

5th Division (North Korea)

The 5th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th century. It was activated at Nanam, North Korea, during the early part of August 1949, composed of Korean veterans of the Chinese Communist 8th Route Army’s 164th Division, which had been stationed in the...

, 6th

6th Division (North Korea)

The 6th Infantry Division was a military formation of the Korean People's Army during the 20th Century. The date that the 6th Infantry Division was formed in somewhat unclear as the Army during the Korean War believed that the 6th ID was established either in July 1949 or March 1950 at Sinuiju from...

, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 19th, and 43rd Infantry Divisions. During the Korean War it also contained a number of independent units such as the 766th Infantry Regiment

766th Independent Infantry Regiment (North Korea)

The 766th Independent Infantry Regiment was a light infantry unit of North Korea's Korean People's Army that existed briefly during the Korean War. It was headquartered in Hoeryong, North Korea, and was also known as the 766th Unit. Trained extensively in amphibious warfare and unconventional...

.

In 1960 the KPA GF may have totaled fewer than 400,000 persons and probably did not rise much above that figure before 1972. The force expanded over the next two decades. In 1992, there were approximately 1 million personnel. Before this expansion of the North Korean ground forces, the South Korean Army outnumbered the North Korean Army. From the 1970s on, South Korea started exceeding North Korea in terms of economics. Thus, South Korea could modernize its forces, which alerted North Korea and resulted in the expansion of the North Korean military. Ironically, the weaker of the two Koreas has maintained the larger armed force. The size, organization, disposition, and combat capabilities of the Ground Force give Pyongyang military options both for offensive operations to reunify the peninsula and for credible defensive operations against any perceived threat from South Korea.

Over time, this organization has adjusted to the unique circumstances of the military problem the KPA faces and to the evolution of North Korean military doctrine and thought.

Current status

The overwhelming majority of active ground forces are deployed in three echelons — a forward operational echelon of four infantry corps; supported by a second operational echelon of two mechanized corps, the armor corps, and an artillery corps; and a strategic reserve of the two remaining mechanized corps and the other artillery corps. These forces include the 806th and 815th Mechanized Corps and the 820th Armored Corps. These forces are garrisoned along major north-south lines of communication that provide rapid, easy access to avenues of approach into South Korea. The KPA has positioned massive numbers of artillery pieces including some fakes, especially its longer-range systems, close to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas.

Equipment

The Ground Forces have a mixed of domestic and imported equipment in their inventory. Prior to the breakup of the Soviet Union, most of these items were Soviet made and later from China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. Total tank inventory amounts to between 4,500 and 5,400 units.

Main sources: (note that this source is known to be quite outdated),

Tanks

Type 59

The Type 59 main battle tank is a Chinese produced version of the Soviet T-54A tank, an improvement over the ubiquitous T-54/55. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service in 1959, with serial production beginning in 1963...

| Main Battle Tank
|
| 1,000
| some 2000 T-55 and Type 59 Tanks are thought to currently be in service
|-----
| T-62

T-62

The T-62 is a Soviet main battle tank, a further development of the T-55. Its 115 mm gun was the first smoothbore tank gun in use.The T-62 was produced between 1961 and 1975. It became a standard tank in the Soviet arsenal, partly replacing the T-55, although that tank continued to be...

| Main Battle Tank
|
| 800
| Capable of receiving model 3-5 Ch'onma-Ho upgrades
|-----
| T-55

T-55

The T-54 and T-55 tanks were a series of main battle tanks designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just before the end of the Second World War. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank for armored units of the Soviet Army, armies of...

| Main Battle Tank
|
| 1,600
| some 2000 T-55 and Type 59 Tanks are thought to currently be in service
|-----
| PT-85

PT-85

The PT-85 is a North Korean produced amphibious light tank, based on the lengthened VTT-323 APC chassis, and featuring a turret similar in appearance to PT-76 one with several modifications. The PT-85 is armed with the 85 mm main gun and an ATGM launcher capable of firing 9M14M Malyutka ATGM. It is...

(Type-82)
| Amphibious Tank
|
| Unknown
| based on the VTT-323

VTT-323

The North Korean produced M1973 Sinhung VTT-323 is a licensed copy of the Chinese YW 531 Armored Personnel Carrier. The vehicle features a box-like welded steel hull, with a small turret positioned just to the rear of the hull centerline. The VTT-323 has five road wheels and a turret mounting...

APC

Armoured personnel carrier

An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...

chassis
|-----
| PT-76

PT-76

The PT-76 is a Soviet amphibious light tank which was introduced in the early 1950s and soon became the standard reconnaissance tank of the Soviet Army and the other Warsaw Pact armed forces. It was widely exported to other friendly states, like India, Iraq, North Korea and North Vietnam. Overall,...

| Amphibious Tank
|
| 460
|some PT-76

PT-76

are in reserve status
|-----
| Ch'ŏnma-ho

Ch'onma-ho

The Ch'ŏnma-ho or spelled as Chonma-ho , which means "Sky Horse" or Pegasus, is one of North Korea's secretive indigenous main battle tank designs. The tank is also known by the name of 천리마 전차 （千里馬 or the "Chollima Tank". The original Ch'ŏnma-ho is based on the Soviet T-62. There are at least five...

Armoured Personnel Carriers

BMP-1

The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty 1 , meaning "infantry fighting vehicle". The BMP-1 was the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle...

| Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Infantry fighting vehicle

An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...

|
| 200
|
|-----
| VTT-323

VTT-323

| Armored Personnel Carrier
| /
|
| Based on the YW-531

Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier)

The Type 63 is a Chinese armoured personnel carrier that entered service in the late 1960s. It was the first armoured vehicle designed in China without Soviet assistance. The design is simple and is comparable to other APCs of its time such as the M113.Approximately 3,000 were produced by Norinco,...

|-----
| Type 63 APC

Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier)

| Armored Personnel Carrier
|
|
|
|-----
| BTR-80

BTR-80

BTR-80 is an 8x8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed in the Soviet Union. Production started in 1986 and replaced the previous versions, BTR-60 and BTR-70 in the Soviet army. -Description:The Soviets based the BTR-80 on the BTR-70 APC...

| Armored Personnel Carrier
|
| 32
| BTR-80A
|-----
| BTR-60

BTR-60

The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers. It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen first time in public in 1961...

| Armored Personnel Carrier
|
| 1,000
|
|-----
| BTR-50

BTR-50

The BTR-50 The BTR-50 The BTR-50 (BTR stands for Bronetransporter (БТР, Бронетранспортер, literally "armored transporter") is a Soviet amphibious armored personnel carrier (APC) based on the PT-76 light tank. The BTR-50 is tracked, unlike most in the BTR series, which are wheeled. The BTR-50...

P
| amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier
|
|
|
|-----
| Type 55

BTR-40

The BTR-40 is a Soviet non-amphibious, wheeled armoured personnel carrier and reconnaissance vehicle. It is often referred to as the Sorokovka in Soviet service. It is also the first mass-produced Soviet APC...

| wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier
|
|
| Type 55
|-----
| BTR-152

BTR-152

The BTR-152 was a non-amphibious Soviet wheeled armored personnel carrier that entered Soviet service in 1950. By the early 1970s it had been replaced in the infantry vehicle role by the BTR-60...

| wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier
|
|
|

Artillery and Guns

Chuch'e-Po

Chuch'e-Po is a self-propelled artillery gun on a modified Ch'ŏnma-ho chassis.-History:The Chuch'e-Po is an improvement over the Tŏkch'ŏn artillery piece, which was mounted on a ATS-59 chassis. There are at least four M1991 versions of the Chuch'e-Po, each mounting a different gun; the D-30 122mm,...

| 152 mm SP gun-howitzer
|
|
|-----
| M-1978

Koksan

The M-1978 is a 170 mm self-propelled gun of North Korean design and manufacture. Very little information is available due to the secretive nature of the North Korean Government. What is known is that it is a 170 mm self-propelled gun of the open turret type...

| 170mm SP gun-howitzer
|
|
|Largest Howitzer in KPA
|-----
| M-1985

152 mm towed gun-howitzer M1955 (D-20)

The 152 mm gun-howitzer M1955, also known as the D-20, is a manually loaded, towed 152 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union during the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1955, where it was designated the M1955. Its GRAU index is 52-P-546...

| 152 mm gun-howitzer
| /
|
| D-20/M1955; Type 83
|-----
| M-1975

130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)

The 130 mm towed field gun M-46 M1954 is a manually loaded, towed 130 mm artillery piece, manufactured in the Soviet Union in the 1950s. It was first observed by the west in 1954...

| 130 mm self-propelled gun
|
|
|
|-----
| M-1992

Chuch'e-Po

| 130 mm self propelled gun
|
|
|
|-----
| M-1981
| 122 mm self-propelled gun
|
|
| Type 54 SPH
|-----
| M-1991

Chuch'e-Po

| 122 mm self-propelled howitzer
|
|
|
|-----
| M-1992

Chuch'e-Po

| 120 mm self propelled combination gun
|
|
|
|-----
| M-1992
| anti-air gun
|
|
|
|-----
| ZSU-57-2

ZSU-57-2

The ZSU-57-2 is a Soviet self-propelled anti-aircraft gun , armed with two 57 mm autocannons. 'ZSU' stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka , meaning "anti-aircraft self-propelled mount", '57' stands for the bore of the armament in millimetres and '2' stands for the number of gun barrels....

| Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.
|
| 250
|
|
|-----
| ZSU-23-4

ZSU-23-4

The ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" is a lightly armored, self-propelled, radar guided anti-aircraft weapon system . ZSU stands for Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka , meaning "anti-aircraft self-propelled mount". The "23" signifies the bore diameter in millimeters. The "4" signifies the number of gun barrels. It...

| Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.
|
| 100
|
|-----
| M1985

BM-21

The BM-21 launch vehicle , a Soviet truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, and a M-21OF rocket were developed in the early 1960s. BM stands for boyevaya mashina, ‘combat vehicle’, and the nickname means ‘hail’. The complete system with the BM-21 launch vehicle and the M-21OF rocket...

| 240mm rocket launcher
|
|
|
|-----
| M-1991
| 240 mm rocket launcher
|
|
|
|-----
| M-1985

BM-21

| 122 mm multiple rocket launcher
|
|
|
|-----
| BM-11

BM-21

| 122 mm multiple rocket launcher
| /
|
|
|-----
| Type 63
| 107 mm multiple rocket launcher
|
|
|
|-----
| BM-24

BM-24

The BM-24 is a multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. It is capable of launching 240mm rockets from 12 launch tubes. Versions of the BM-24 have been mounted on the ZIL-151 6x6 Truck chassis and the AT-S tracked artillery tractor....

| 240 mm multiple rocket launcher
|
|
| 200 delivered in 1955
|-----
| SU-100

SU-100

The SU-100 was a Soviet tank destroyer. It was used extensively during the last year of World War II and saw service for many years afterwards with the armies of Soviet allies around the world.- Development :...

| 100 mm SP assault gun
|
|
|
|-----
| ?
| mortars

Mortar (weapon)

A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....

| various ?
| 7,500
| North Korea is known to have some 7,500 mortars of different types and origin in its inventory

Anti-tank weapons

AT-1 Snapper
AT-1 Snapper
The 3M6 Shmel is the MCLOS wire-guided Anti-tank missile of the Soviet Union. "3M6" is its GRAU designation. Its NATO reporting name is AT-1 Snapper.Too large to be manportable, it was typically deployed from specialised vehicles or helicopters...

ATGM
AT-3 Sagger
AT-3 Sagger
The 9K11 Malyutka is a Manual Command to Line-of-Sight wire-guided anti-tank guided missile developed in the Soviet Union. It was the first man-portable anti-tank guided missile of the Soviet Union and is probably the most widely produced ATGM of all time—with Soviet production peaking at...

ATGM (4,000 imported in the 1990s from Russia; local production)
AT-4 Spigot
AT-4 Spigot
The 9K111 Fagot is a SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile system of the Soviet Union. "9M111" is the GRAU designation of the missile. Its NATO reporting name is AT-4 Spigot.-Development:...

ATGM
AT-5 Spandrel
AT-5 Spandrel
The 9M113 Konkurs SACLOS wire-guided Anti-tank missile of the Soviet Union. "9M113" is the GRAU designation of the missile. Its NATO reporting name is AT-5 Spandrel.-Development:...

(on anti-tank vehicles)
1,700 recoilless rifles, incl. B-10 recoilless rifle
B-10 recoilless rifle
The B-10 recoilless rifle is a Soviet 82 mm smoothbore recoilless rifle. It could be carried on the rear of a BTR-50 armoured personnel carrier. It was a development of the earlier SPG-82, and entered Soviet service during 1954...

, B-11 recoilless rifle
B-11 recoilless rifle
The B-11 recoilless rifle is a Soviet 107 mm smoothbore recoilless rifle. It entered service in 1954, and was typically towed by a 6x6 ZIL-157 truck or a UAZ 4x4 truck.Designed by KBM, Kolomna....

and SPG-9
SPG-9
The SPG-9 Kopye is a Russian tripod-mounted man-portable, 73 millimetre calibre recoilless gun developed by the Soviet Union. It fires fin-stabilised, rocket-assisted HE and HEAT projectiles similar to those fired by the 73 mm 2A28 Grom low pressure gun of the BMP-1 vehicle...
RPG-7
RPG-7
The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
Type 69 RPG
Type 69 RPG
The Type 69 85mm rocket propelled grenade , made by Norinco, is a Chinese copy of the famous RPG-7 developed by the Soviet Union. First introduced in the early 1970s, the Type 69 RPG is a common individual anti-tank weapon in service with the PLA...

Chinese rocket-propelled grenade

Small Arms

Type 64 Pistol. North Korean variant of the Belgium FN M1900
FN M1900
The FN Browning M1900 is a single action, semi-automatic pistol designed ca. 1896 by John Browning for Fabrique Nationale de Herstal and produced in Belgium at the turn of the century...

pistol
Type 68 Pistol. North Korean variant of the Soviet TT-33
TT-33
The TT-30 is a Russian semi-automatic pistol. It was developed in the early 1930s by Fedor Tokarev as a service pistol for the Soviet military to replace the Nagant M1895 revolver that had been in use since tsarist times, though it never fully replaced the M1895.-Development:In 1930, the...

pistol
Makarov PM
Makarov PM
The PM is a semi-automatic pistol design. Under the project leadership of Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov, it became the Soviet Union's standard military side arm from 1951-1991.-Development:...

Pistol
Baek-Du-San, North Korean copy of the Czech CZ-75 pistol
PPSh-41
PPSh-41
The PPSh-41 was a Soviet submachine gun designed by Georgi Shpagin as an inexpensive, simplified alternative to the PPD-40. Intended for use by minimally-trained conscript soldiers, the PPSh was a magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun using an open-bolt, blowback action...

Submachine Gun, under the designation 'Type 49'
Mosin-Nagant
Mosin-Nagant
The Mosin–Nagant is a bolt-action, internal magazine-fed, military rifle invented under the government commission by Russian and Belgian inventors, and used by the armed forces of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and various other nations....
SVT-40
Type 63 Rifle. North Korean variant of the Soviet SKS
SKS
The SKS is a Soviet semi-automatic rifle chambered for the 7.62x39mm round, designed in 1943 by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov. SKS-45 is an acronym for Samozaryadnyj Karabin sistemy Simonova, 1945 Simonov system, 1945), or SKS 45. The Sks is a scaled down version of the PTRS-41 anti-tank rifle also...

carbine
Type 56 Chinese Assault Rifle
AKM
AKM
The AKM is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an upgraded version of the AK-47 rifle and was developed in the 1950s....

Assault Rifle. Designated as the Type 68
AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...

Assault Rifle. Designated as the Type 58
AK-74
AK-74
The AK-74 is an assault rifle developed in the early 1970s in the Soviet Union as the replacement for the earlier AKM...

Assault Rifle. Designated as the Type 88 or 98
Norinco CQ
Norinco CQ
The CQ is a copy of the Colt M16 rifle. It is currently being manufactured by Norinco. According to the Norinco website, the rifle is officially known as CQ 5.56.-History:...

Assault Rifle. Chinese copy of M16 rifle
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...

(Unconfirmed)
DP Light Machine Gun
RPK
RPK
The RPK is a 7.62x39mm light machine gun of Soviet design, developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the late 1950s, parallel with the AKM assault/battle rifle...

Light Machine Gun
Type 62 Light Machine Gun. North Korean variant of the Soviet RPD
RPD
The RPD is a 7.62mm light machine gun developed in the Soviet Union by Vasily Degtyaryov for the intermediate 7.62x39mm M43 cartridge. It was created as a replacement for the DP machine gun chambered for the 7.62x54mmR Mosin rifle round...

Light Machine Gun
Type 73 Light Machine Gun. Indigenous design based on the BREN design
Type 82 Light Machine Gun. Indigenous design
SG-43 Goryunov
PK machine gun
PK machine gun
The PK is a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia. The PK machine gun was introduced in the 1960s and replaced the SGM and RPD machine guns in Soviet service...
DShKM Heavy Machine Gun
KPV
KPV heavy machine gun
The KPV-14.5 heavy machine gun is a Soviet designed 14.5x114mm-caliber heavy machine gun, which first entered service as an infantry weapon in 1949. In the 1960s the infantry version was taken out of production because it was too big and heavy...

Heavy Machine Gun
NSV Heavy Machine Gun
Zastava M76 Sniper Rifle. Manufactured locally as Chogyok-Pochong
Dragunov SVD Sniper Rifle
AGS-17
AGS-17
The AGS-17 Plamya is a Soviet-designed automatic grenade launcher currently in production in the Russian Federation and in service worldwide.-Description:...

Automatic Grenade Launcher

Uniform

KPAGF officers and soldiers are most often seen wearing a mix of olive green or tan uniforms. However the pictures depict of North Korean army in propaganda footage or formal setting. The basic dress uniform consists of a tunic and pants; female soldiers wear skirts. A cap or visor cap are worn in spring and summer months and a Soviet fur hat (the Ushanka

Ushanka

An ushanka , also known as a trooper, is a Russian fur cap with ear flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, or tied at the chin to protect the ears, jaw and lower chin from the cold. The thick dense fur also offers some protection against blunt impacts to the head...

hats) in winter. A variant of the M81 Woodland

M81 Woodland

Woodland pattern is the name of the default camouflage pattern issued to United States soldiers, Marines, airmen, and sailors from 1981, with the issue of the M81 Battle Dress Uniform until nearly the present day...

is also being worn by a few and rare images of North Korean army officers. In Non-Dress uniforms a steel helmet seems to be the most common headgear, and is sometimes worn with a camoflauge covering.

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