Korean People's Army Ground Force

조선인민군 육군 Korean People's Army Ground Force
KPAGF Flag
Active
Country	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Allegiance	North Korea
Type	Army
Engagements	Korean War
Commanders
Notable commanders	Choi Yong-kun, Kim Chaek

The Korean People's Army Ground Force is the army 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 in June 1950. North Korean ground forces formations which fought in the Korean War included the II and V Corps, the 105th Armored Division, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 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.

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.^[1] 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.^[2] 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,^{[citation needed]} especially its longer-range systems, close to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas.

KPA Soldier at the DMZ

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

Main sources: [1] (note that this source is known to be quite outdated), [2]

Tanks

Name	Type	Country of Origin	In Service	Notes
Type 59	Main Battle Tank	People's Republic of China	1,000[3]	some 2000 T-55 and Type 59 Tanks are thought to currently be in service
T-62	Main Battle Tank	Soviet Union	800	Capable of receiving model 3-5 Ch'onma-Ho upgrades
T-55	Main Battle Tank	Soviet Union	1,600	some 2000 T-55 and Type 59 Tanks are thought to currently be in service
PT-85 (Type-82)	Amphibious Tank	Democratic People's Republic of Korea	Unknown	based on the VTT-323 APC chassis
PT-76	Amphibious Tank	Soviet Union	460	some PT-76 are in reserve status
Ch'ŏnma-ho	Main Battle Tank	Democratic People's Republic of Korea	as high as 1,000 (as of the early 1990's)	1,200 manufactured (as of the early 1990's)
P'okpung-Ho	Main Battle Tank	Democratic People's Republic of Korea	at least 200-300 in the 105th Guards Armored Division	Locally designed Main Battle Tank, contains elements from T-62, T-72, Type 88, T-80 and T-90.

Armoured Personnel Carriers

Name	Type	Country of Origin	In Service	Notes
BMP-1	Infantry Fighting Vehicle	Soviet Union	200
VTT-323	Armored Personnel Carrier	People's Republic of China/ Democratic People's Republic of Korea		Based on the YW-531
Type 63 APC	Armored Personnel Carrier	People's Republic of China
BTR-80	Armored Personnel Carrier	Soviet Union	32	BTR-80A
BTR-60	Armored Personnel Carrier	Soviet Union	1,000
BTR-50P	amphibious Armored Personnel Carrier	Soviet Union
Type 55	wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier	People's Republic of China		Type 55
BTR-152	wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier	Soviet Union

Artillery and Guns

Name	Type	Country of Origin	In Service	Notes
M-1974	152 mm SP gun-howitzer	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
M-1978	170mm SP gun-howitzer	Democratic People's Republic of Korea		Largest Howitzer in KPA
M-1985	152 mm gun-howitzer	North Korea/ Soviet Union		D-20/M1955; Type 83
M-1975	130 mm self-propelled gun	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
M-1992	130 mm self propelled gun	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
M-1981	122 mm self-propelled gun	Democratic People's Republic of Korea		Type 54 SPH
M-1991	122 mm self-propelled howitzer	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
M-1992	120 mm self propelled combination gun	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
M-1992	anti-air gun	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
ZSU-57-2	Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.	Soviet Union	250
ZSU-23-4	Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.	Soviet Union	100
M1985	240mm rocket launcher	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
M-1991	240 mm rocket launcher	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
M-1985	122 mm multiple rocket launcher	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
BM-11	122 mm multiple rocket launcher	North Korea/ Soviet Union
Type 63	107 mm multiple rocket launcher	People's Republic of China
BM-24	240 mm multiple rocket launcher	Soviet Union		200 delivered in 1955
SU-100	100 mm SP assault gun	Soviet Union
?	mortars	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 ATGM
• AT-3 Sagger ATGM (4,000 imported in the 1990s from Russia; local production)
• AT-4 Spigot ATGM
• AT-5 Spandrel (on anti-tank vehicles)
• 1,700 recoilless rifles, incl. B-10 recoilless rifle, B-11 recoilless rifle and SPG-9
• RPG-7
• Type 69 RPG Chinese rocket-propelled grenade

Small Arms

• Type 64 Pistol. North Korean variant of the Belgium FN M1900 pistol
• Type 68 Pistol. North Korean variant of the Soviet TT-33 pistol
• Makarov PM Pistol
• Baek-Du-San, North Korean copy of the Czech CZ-75 pistol
• PPSh-41 Submachine Gun, under the designation 'Type 49'
• Mosin-Nagant
• SVT-40
• Type 63 Rifle. North Korean variant of the Soviet SKS carbine
• Type 56 Chinese Assault Rifle
• AKM Assault Rifle. Designated as the Type 68
• AK-47 Assault Rifle. Designated as the Type 58
• AK-74 Assault Rifle. Designated as the Type 88 or 98
• Norinco CQ Assault Rifle. Chinese copy of M16 rifle (Unconfirmed)
• DP Light Machine Gun
• RPK Light Machine Gun
• Type 62 Light Machine Gun. North Korean variant of the Soviet RPD 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
• DShKM Heavy Machine Gun
• KPV Heavy Machine Gun
• NSV Heavy Machine Gun
• Zastava M76 Sniper Rifle. Manufactured locally as Chogyok-Pochong
• Dragunov SVD Sniper Rifle
• AGS-17 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 hats) in winter. A variant of the M81 Woodland 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.

References

1. ^ Federation of American Scientists, Korean Peoples' Army, accessed February 2008
2. ^ Hodge, Homer T., "North Korea's Military Strategy", Hodge: 2003.
3. ^ Christopher F Foss.. Jane's Armour and Artillery 2005-2006.