Capability Analysis of North Korean Special Forces

                             

by Masashi　FUJIMOTO

Senior Member of Research Committee, DRC

 

At the summit meeting in Sept, 2002, Kim Jon Il told the Prime Minister Koizumi “A part of North Korean’s Special Organizations executed espionage activities using special ships against Japan, and abducted some Japanese to North Korea from 1970s to 1980s. In North Korea there have been various Special Organizations. I am now reducing them”.

The actual state of North Korean Special Forces is mostly obscure. In this report, the overview of the actual state including the status, organizations, equipments and capabilities is surmised from various materials.

 

1. Status of Special Forces

The guerrilla tactics, and mountains tactics are the basic tactics in the North Korean Force’s principal doctrine, principal strategy and preemptive surprise strike against South Korea. So, North Korean Special Forces are not mere special forces in the globally common idea, but also are basic tactical units with equal status to regular forces. Furthermore, one of their most powerful units is substantially under direct control of the national top leader, Kim Jon Il.

(1) North Korean Force’s principal doctrine

North Korean Forces’ Principal Doctrine is the “Combination of Regular and Irregular Tactics” even in present days. This comes from the fact that the root of North Korean Force is the irregular force founded by Kim Il Sung for armed conflict against Japan.

(2) North Korean Forces’ Principal Strategy

North Korean Force’s principal strategy is the “Cubic Strategy”. The Cubic Strategy is the combination of ‘regular and irregular tactics’, ‘big and small units’ and ‘new and old-fashioned arms ’.

(3) Missions of Special Forces in Preemptive Surprise Strike against South Korea

It is said that the following 3 missions are given to Special Forces: �@form the second fight line on the southern side of DMZ ,by using the underground tunnels, �A make whole of South Korea a battle field at the same time by performing airborne, air maneuvering , landing and guerrilla penetrating operations,�Blegalize the preemptive surprise strike by causing to request the North Korean support by disguised guerrillas to make internal disturbances in South Korea by penetration of Special Forces.

(4) Position of Special Forces

Fig-1 shows the position of Special Forces in the North Korean Force. Special Forces　are composed of a Special Corps and 8 Special Battalions.

Fig-1 Position of Special Forces in North Korean Force

Fig-2 shows the organizations related to Special Forces. The Special Corps is under the guidance of Light Infantry Instruction Agency. 8 Special Battalions is under the control of Reconnaissance Agency, but directly guided by Foreign Intelligence Department (The 35th Room) of Labor Party. Furthermore, 8 Special Battalions are said to be directly controlled by Kim Jon Il.

Foreign Intelligence Department (The 35th Room) of Labor Party makes intelligence operative men lie hidden in South Korea or other countries for long time , and makes them get intelligence about political, economic or military affairs, and makes them execute espionage activities such as terrorism, or abduction. The Room is said to have destroyed the Korean Airline aircraft in the skies of Bengal bay in 1987.

The Reconnaissance Agency in the General Staff Office is the espionage organization

Fig-2   The organizations related to Special Forces

in People’s Forces Agency. It is said that the Reconnaissance Agency executed murdering the members of South Korea Cabinet in Burma in 1983, and also sent the spy submarine that ran aground off the east coast of South Korea in 1996.

In September, 2002, Kim Jon Il stated to the Prime Minister Koizumi, “I sentenced the criminal who kidnapped a young Japanese woman to death penalty in the offense of the official authority misappropriation.” The criminal is said to have been the sub director of the 35 th Room and the Reconnaissance Agency.

 

 

 

 

２．Organization, Strength, Equipments and Capability of Special Forces

 

(1) Organization and Strength of Special Forces

The total strength of Special Corps and Special Battalions is about 100,000（8,800 by the Military Balance 2000-2001）.

a. Special Corps

Special Corps executes not only guerrilla penetrating operations but also regular operations such as airborne, air maneuvering, landing and rear-area guarding operations. It is composed of �@6 Sniper Brigades, �A2 Amphibious Sniper Brigades, �B2 Air Force Sniper Brigades, �C3 Light Infantry Airborne Brigades, �D17 Reconnaissance Battalions, �E9 Light Infantry Brigades and �F1 Air Transport Battalion.

Special Corps consists of Light Infantries. In North Korean’s Forces, “Light” Infantry does not mean “non-heavy” infantry, but means “high mobility” infantry that can traverse various difficult terrains in day and night, under all-weather. Light Infantry does not mean a kind of Infantry but means a branch of service which is parallel in position to Tank and Artillery in Army as showed in Fig-1.

(a) 6 Sniper Brigades

Debouching to back of the DMZ line through underground tunnels, and forming the second fight line, Sniper Brigades contribute for the main forces to success in preemptive surprise strike attack, by decentralizing the US and South Korean’s forces power. Total number of soldiers in 6 Sniper Brigades is supposed to be around 21,000. This total number is roughly estimated from the data that 500 soldiers compose a Battalion, and 7 Battalions compose a Brigade. 

(b) 2 Amphibious Sniper Brigades

Amphibious Sniper Brigades sneak into South Korea as the spearhead of attack, and destroy or capture military facilities such as missile bases, industrial infrastructures, and critical public infrastructures including nuclear power stations to make whole of Korea a battle field at the same time. Total number of soldiers in ２ Amphibious Sniper Brigades is supposed to be around 7,000.

(c) 2 Air Force Sniper Brigades

Air Force Sniper Brigades are the land battle forces of Air Force. They attack air ports, air traffic control facilities, radars or SAM to maintain the operating capability of NK air force. These Brigades were formed upon the lessons that the NK Air force was wiped out in an instant in the Korean War. Total number of soldiers in ２ Air Force Sniper Brigades is supposed to be around 7,000.

(d) 3 Light Infantry Airborne Brigades

Light Infantry Airborne Brigades execute the parachute down and heliborne operations. In NK Force, Airborne operations are the mission of Special Forces.

8 men are in a squad, 25 men in a platoon, 80 men in a company, 500 men in a battalion, and 3,500 men are in a brigade that consists of 7 battalions.

Using An-2 light aircraft in many operations, they fly at low altitude. Soldiers are said to have always an automatic rifle, 400 live cartridges and 4 hand grenades. Total number of soldiers in 3 Light Infantry Airborne Brigades is supposed to be around 11,000.

(e) 17 Reconnaissance Battalions

Reconnaissance Battalions sneak deep into South Korea including preparatory infiltrations to collect information about US and South Korean Forces. Total number of soldiers in 17 Reconnaissance Battalions is supposed to be around 9,000.

(f) 9 Light Infantry Brigades

Light Infantry Brigades execute counter operation against U,S, and South Korean forces’ airborne or landing operations in the rear area of North Korean forces. 130 men are in a company, and 500 men are in a battalion. Total number of soldiers in 9 Light Infantry Brigades is supposed to be around 32,000.

(g) 1 Air Transport Battalion

Air Transport Battalion is supposed to be the unit that has aircrafts for air transport.

 

b. 8 Special Battalions（in Reconnaissance Agency）

There are 8 prefectures in South Korea. 8 Special Battalions have been formed so that 1 Battalion can sneak into a prefecture. 300 men are in one Battalion, 2,400 men are in 8 Special Battalions.

Members of Special Battalions lie hidden in South Korea or other countries for long time, and get intelligence about political, economic or military affairs. They execute also espionage activities such as terrorism, or abduction to North Korea.

It was said in 1990 that one Special Woman Reconnaissance Platoon was newly formed in each Brigade. Considering the general characteristic of special woman reconnaissance platoon, each of these Special Women Platoons is supposed to have been formed not in each Brigade but in each Special Battalion under Reconnaissance Agency for the purpose of underground activities in each South Korea prefecture.

In 1967, the 124th unit, which is the predecessor of the present 8 Special Battalions, was formed under the Reconnaissance Agency. The 124th unit is said to have executed the attacking of the South Korean presidential mansion in Jury, 1968, landing with 100 guerrillas at East Coast of South Korea in Nov, 1968, and murdering the members of South Korea Cabinet in Burma in 1983. Since these guerrilla operations did not succeed, espionage operations against South Korea were transferred to Labor Party from the Force. More priority were given to agents’ lying hidden in South Korea or other countries for long time and bringing up underground organizations to support revolution based upon socialism than to terrorism or guerrilla operations.

(2) Equipments for infiltration

a. Aerial Infiltration

O Small transport plane AN-2

300 AN-2s exist. A plane can transport 10 soldiers. This plane is old type small plane with two wings, but suits to flying at low altitude and has high-performance in short range landing.

O Other various transport planes, helicopters, wooden gliders, etc.

b. Sea Surface Infiltration

O Small type submarines

About 60 exist in total.

About 20 Sang-o Classes exist. This type can transport 19 soldiers.

About 45 Youg-o Classes exist. This type can transport 13 soldiers.

O 13~21 Special submersibles for sneaking exist. This can transport ８ soldiers.

O Disguised armed fishing boats

A North Korean espionage ship which was disguised as fishing boat was overwhelmed after engagement with Japanese coast guard at south coast of Kyushu, in Dec, 2001, and was salvaged by Japanese coast guard in Sept, 2002. The tonnage of this espionage ship is about 100 tons, and the speed is 50 kt/hour. Hinged double doors are at the stern, and a small vessel was inside. This small vessel is equipped with 3 engines and 3 screws, and supposed　to be a high speed submersible. The same type of suspicious fishing boats have been repeatedly observed at Japan’s west coast.

O Hovercraft landing ships

About 130 exist. This can transport about 50 fully armed soldiers. Speed is 50 kt/hour.

c. Under ground tunnels

Under ground tunnels have been dug for surprise attack against South Korea. Using these tunnels, NK forces can debouch to the rear of the DMZ U, S, & South Korean defense line. Four tunnels have been discovered so far and blockaded. It is said that totally 20 tunnels including undiscovered tunnels have been dug secretly.

O The First tunnel: discovered at the 65 km spot to Seoul in 1974. The height is 1.2 m, the width is 2 m. 4,000 soldiers can pass in an hour.

O The Second tunnel: discovered at the 100 km spot to Seoul in 1975. The height is 2 m, the width is 2 m. 30,000 fully equipped soldiers can pass in an hour. Small type vehicles and guns can pass by.

O The Third tunnel: discovered at the 44 km spot to Seoul in 1976. The size is the same as the Second tunnel.

O The Fourth tunnel: discovered at the 160 km spot to Seoul on the east defense line in 1990. The size is the same as the Second tunnel.

(3) Firing weapons for infiltrators

Firing weapons for infiltrator must be portable, so its destructive power is limited. 82 mm mortar, 82 mm anti-tank rocket RPG-7, portable anti-air missile SA-16, automatic rifle AK-47, light machine gun, pistol, hand grenade and high explosive are portable. Portable NBC weapons may be carried if possible.

In September 1996, a Youg-o class submarine run aground on the coast in South Korea. 13 armed infiltrators landed and were killed. The lost articles they left are anti-tank rocket RPG-7s, automatic rifle AK-47s, pistols made in Belgium, munitions of rifles and pistols, transceivers made in Japan, HF radios made in Japan, tables of random numbers for cipher, night vision scopes made in Japan, video cameras and binoculars made in Japan, diving suits and equipments, forged South Korea soldier’s combat uniforms, forged civilian suits and shoes, foodstuffs, etc.

A North Korean espionage ship which was disguised as a fishing boat, which was salvaged by Japanese coast guard in Sept, 2002, is equipped with anti-air machine gun, and loads anti-tank rocket RPG-7s, automatic rifles, 2 portable anti-air missile SA-16s, light machine gun and square hand grenades. The square hand grenade is the tabaco size square box into which pinball size metal balls are filled. This hand grenade is peculiar to North Korea.

(4) Maneuvering equipments for infiltrator

Infiltrators have no maneuvering equipments.

(5) Combat service support

It is very difficult for infiltrators to get continuous combat service support after infiltration.

(6) Command and control

Infiltrators carry HF radio equipments, but transmitting radio wave by infiltrators is strictly prohibited. HF radio broadcast from North Korea is usable.  The amateur radio equipments, telephones and personal computers of South Koreans who support North Korea are also usable.

(7) Morale and skill

Mind education and training in Special Forces has been complete. The soldiers in North Korean Special Forces are said to be the bravest in the world, unfearing of death.

 

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