The Korean People's Army Naval Force (KPANF;
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
: 조선인민군 해군;
Hanja
Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom.
(, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...
: 朝鮮人民軍 海軍; ''Chosŏn-inmingun Haegun''; ) or the Korean People's Navy (KPN), is the
naval
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
service branch of the
Korean People's Army
The Korean People's Army (KPA; ) is the military force of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). Under the ''Songun'' policy, it is the central institution of North Korean society. Currently, WPK General Sec ...
, which contains each branch of the North Korean armed forces.
There are some 780 vessels including 70
midget submarine
A midget submarine (also called a mini submarine) is any submarine under 150 tons, typically operated by a crew of one or two but sometimes up to six or nine, with little or no on-board living accommodation. They normally work with mother ships, ...
s (including the
Yono-class submarine
The Yono-class submarine (occasionally confused with Yugo-class) is a class of North Korean miniature submarines, produced for domestic use as well as for export. Also referred to as the Yeono class, these submarines displace 130 tons, signifi ...
and
Sang-O-class submarine), 20
Romeo-class submarine
The Project 633 class (known in the West by its NATO reporting name as the Romeo class) is a class of Soviet diesel-electric submarine, built between 1957 and 1961. A Chinese variant, Type 033, was built in China from 1962 to 1984.
Project 633 ...
s, and about 140 air cushioned landing craft.
The North Korean navy is considered a
brown-water (or riverine) navy and operates mainly within the 50 kilometer exclusion zone. The fleet consists of east and west coast squadrons, which cannot support each other in the event of war with
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. The limited range of its vessels means that, even in peacetime, it is virtually impossible for a ship on one coast to visit the other coast.
History
The KPN was established on 5 June 1946.
Naval engagements of the Korean People's Army Naval Force
* Landing operation near Kangnung and Samcheok (25–26 June 1950)
*
Battle of Chumonchin Chan
The Battle of Chumonchin Chan or the action of 2 July 1950 was the battle fought between surface combatants during the main phase of the Korean War. It began after an Allied flotilla encountered a Korean People's Navy supply fleet.
Battle
On 2 ...
(2 July 1950)
*
Battle of Haeju
The Battle of Haeju was a small naval battle during the main phase of the Korean War.
Off Haeju Bay in the Yellow Sea, on September 10, 1950, days before the Battle of Inchon, a South Korean navy patrol boat, ''PC-703'', encountered a North ...
(10 September 1950)
*
''Pueblo'' incident (23 January 1968)
*
Gangneung Infiltration (17 September - 5 November 1996)
*
Battle of Yosu
The 1998 Yeosu submersible incident was a naval skirmish that occurred off of the southern coast of South Korea between 17 and 18 December 1998. On the evening of 17 December, a South Korean observation post sighted a North Korean semi-submersib ...
(17–18 December 1998)
*
First Battle of Yeonpyeong
The Battle of Yeonpyeong (or First Battle of Yeonpyeong) (Korean: 제1 연평해전, ''Je Il(1) Yeonpyeong Haejeon'') took place between the navies of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea ...
(9–15 June 1999)
*
Battle of Amami-Ōshima (22 December 2001)
*
Second Battle of Yeonpyeong
The Battle of Yeongpyeong (or Second Battle of Yeonpyeong) (Korean: 제2 연평해전, ''Je I(2) Yeonpyeong Haejeon'') was a confrontation at sea between North Korean and South Korean patrol boats along a disputed maritime boundary near Yeonpyeon ...
(29 June 2002)
*
Battle of Daecheong
The Daecheong incident, also known as the Battle of Daecheong, was a skirmish between the South Korean and North Korean navies near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) on 10 November 2009 off Daecheong Island. The incident began at 11:27 am when a No ...
(10 November 2009)
*
ROKS ''Cheonan'' sinking (26 March 2010)
2013 submarine chaser sinking
On 13 October 2013, submarine chaser number 233 departed on a regular patrol, but failed to return on time. The boat was later discovered to be sunk, and the entire crew had died, who were named as martyrs. A seaside grave was constructed for these sailors, which Kim Jong-un visited, in a move described by the New York Times as bolstering his image of caring for the soldiers. Families of the victims were given portraits of their children and a collage of the grave.
Reported 2016 submarine sinking
On 11 March 2016, CNN and the U.S. Naval Institute News reported that unnamed US officials believed a North Korean submarine had been lost at sea in the Sea of Japan. According to reports, the U.S. military had been observing the submarine when it "stopped" before the North Korean navy was observed by American satellites, aircraft and ships to be searching the area.
[on CNN: U.S. says North Korean submarine missing"]
/ref>[Official: North Korean Submarine is Missing, Presumed Sunk"]
/ref>
Organization
According to the Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is an intelligence agency and combat support agency of the United States Department of Defense, specializing in defense and military intelligence.
A component of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the I ...
, the 146,000-man Korean Peoples' Army Navy (KPAN) is primarily a coastal navy. The KPAN is organized into two fleets: the East Coast Fleet, with eight operational commands, and the West Coast Fleet, with five operational commands. The East Coast Fleet is headquartered at Toejo Dong, with major bases at Najin
Rajin-guyŏk () is a North Korean district on Rason in the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea) in the North Pacific Ocean on the northeast tip of North Korea. It is in the Kwanbuk region and location in the south of Rason. North of it lies the North ...
and Wonsan
Wŏnsan (), previously known as Wŏnsanjin (), Port Lazarev, and Genzan (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwŏn Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...
.["NORTH KOREA COUNTRY HANDBOOK (PDF Format)"]
. Defense Intelligence Agency Official Website. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
The West Coast Fleet is headquartered at Nampo
Nampo (North Korean official spelling: Nampho; ), also spelled Namp'o, is the second largest city by population and an important seaport in North Korea, which lies on the northern shore of the Taedong River, 15 km east of the river's mouth. ...
, with major bases at Pipagot and Sagon Ni. Numerous smaller naval bases are located along both coasts. The fleets do not exchange vessels because geographical limitations make mutual support almost impossible. The KPAN does not have a Marine Corps or naval aviation capabilities. Amphibious operations are conducted by SOF units in addition to naval personnel.[
According to South Korea's National Intelligence Service (in 1999):
'']The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' puts the total in 2009 at "420 warships and 60 submarines."
The annual report of North Korea's military capabilities by the U.S. Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philipp ...
, released in early 2014, identified the North Korean Navy's strength at 60,000 personnel, 70 submarines, 420 gun boats, 260 amphibious landing craft, 30 mine warfare vessels, and 30 support ships.
Inventory
Most KPAN vessels are small patrol-size craft unable to operate over 50 nautical miles (NM) from the coast but capable of policing the DPRK's territorial waters. The navy's numerous amphibious craft and midget submarines are intended to clandestinely insert SOF units into the ROK. The DPRK also maintains coastal defense artillery and missile sites. Coastal defense artillery includes 122 mm, 130 mm, and 152 mm systems. Land-based coastal defense missiles include the KS-1 Komet
The Raduga KS-1 Komet (russian: КС-1 "Комета", NATO reporting name: Kennel), also referred to as AS-1 and KS-1 (крылатый снаряд - winged projectile) was a Soviet short range air-to-surface missile, primarily developed for a ...
, Silkworm (HY-1 and HY-2) .[
The KPAN's most capable weapons systems are their approximately 43 guided-missile patrol boats equipped with the ]P-15 Termit
The P-15 ''Termit'' (russian: П-15 "Термит"; en, termite) is an anti-ship missile developed by the Soviet Union's MKB Raduga, Raduga design bureau in the 1950s. Its GRAU designation was 4K40, its NATO reporting name was ''Styx'' or SS-N ...
antiship missile (or its Chinese version, the Silkworm (SY-1)). Though their small size limits operations to coastal waters and calm seas, they have a capability to quickly respond to Combined Forces Command (CFC) shipping approaching the coast. The KPAN has 12 Osa-class missile boat
The Project 205 Moskit (''mosquito'') more commonly known by their NATO reporting name Osa, are a class of missile boats developed for the Soviet Navy in the late 1950s. Until 1962 this was classified as a large torpedo boat.
The Osa class is ...
, 10 DPRK versions of the Osa-1 called the Soju,
and 19 other fast-attack missile craft; the Osa and Osa are all equipped with four Silkworm (SY-1) missile launchers. The missiles have a maximum range of 25 Nm and carry radar or infrared homing seekers.[
The largest part of the KPAN consists of small combatants, including torpedo boats, patrol boats, patrol craft, fast attack craft, and small amphibious landing craft. Of the approximately 200 torpedo boats, nearly half are DPRK-built. Most are equipped with 25 mm to 37 mm guns. The DPRK built at least 62 Chaho fire-support patrol units. This unique vessel has a multiple rocket launcher in the center of its deck to provide fire support to ground troops or attack surface ships.][
The DPRK's attack submarine inventory is estimated to include 4 former Soviet ]Whiskey class submarine
Whiskey-class submarines (known in the Soviet Union as Projects 613, 640, 644, and 665) are a class of diesel-electric attack submarines that the Soviet Union built in the early Cold War period.
Design
The initial design was developed in the ...
, 22 Chinese Romeo Class submarines, and DPRK-built Romeo Class submarines. The Whiskeys, acquired in the 1960s, can carry 12 torpedoes or 24 mines. Shortly after delivering four Romeos in the early 1970s, China helped the DPRK start its own Romeo construction program. The Romeos are well equipped, have an improved sonar, and can carry 14 torpedoes or 28 mines.[
To date, the DPRK has indigenously produced over 200 personnel landing craft. This includes approximately 100 Nampo personnel landing craft based on a former Soviet P-6 torpedo boat hull. The Nampo has a maximum speed of and a radius of at . The Nampos provide a limited amphibious capability, each carrying up to 30 troops with a basic combat load. Amphibious assaults against CFC probably would be small, clandestine landings involving two to six Nampo craft; Chaho or other naval craft could provide fire support. Other amphibious craft include 8 Hantae medium landing ships, which can carry 3 to 4 light tanks, and approximately 125 Kongbang amphibious hovercraft.][
The DPRK has a credible mine warfare capability. There are numerous small surface ships that are capable of delivering mines within both the navy and civilian sectors. Mines will be used to defend against amphibious assaults, defend strategic ports, and provide seaward flank protection for land forces. Defensive mine fields will be monitored by coastal observation teams and radar, and they will be supported by well emplaced artillery and missile batteries. This will make close approach and mine clearing operations extremely hazardous. DPRK has a large inventory of older technology mines, significant historical experience with their effectiveness, and, most importantly, the willingness to use them.][
The latest bi-annual report of North Korea's military capabilities by the ROK's ]Ministry of National Defense
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
, released in 2018, KPN inventory is estimated at 430 combat ships, 250 landing crafts, 20 mine layers, 40 support ships, 70 submarines.
Modernization
For years, the Korean People's Army Naval Force stagnated with a number of ships becoming old and weapons turning obsolete, this peaked with an accident during drills, when the ''Chosun Ilbo
''The Chosun Ilbo'' (, ) is a daily newspaper in South Korea and the oldest daily newspaper in the country. With a daily circulation of more than 1,800,000, the ''Chosun Ilbo'' has been audited annually since the Audit Bureau of Circulations w ...
'' reported that in mid-October 2013, one of the DPRK's Hainan Class submarine chasers and one of its smaller patrol boats sank during maneuvers in the Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...
with an unknown loss of life.
After 2013 surfaced on western analysis, a number of upgrades and new classes in service with the Navy appeared: most of this modernization's program is left to speculation and analysis of satellite images, due to the absence of details released by North Korea.
South Korea reported that North Korea has built a new high-speed, wave piercing craft to deploy troops as part of efforts to enhance infiltration capabilities by sea. Called a Very Slender Vessel (VSV), it is cylindrical with a small cross section to pierce through waves at high speed. It is long and can carry a small number of special forces at over , compared to air-cushion vehicles than can travel at . VSVs are considered one of the most threatening craft in the Korean People's Army Naval Force for their commando infiltration capabilities onto border islands.
North Korea has built two helicopter frigates to enhance its anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Construction began in 2006-07 and launched in 2011–12, but it is unknown if they have been commissioned and are in service. The frigates are estimated to be long and wide, with a flight deck and a displacement of . Armament is believed to include 4 RBU 1200 ASW rocket launchers, a 30 mm CIWS, and possibly the C-802
The YJ-83 (; NATO reporting name: CSS-N-8 Saccade) is a Chinese subsonic anti-ship cruise missile. It is manufactured by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Third Academy.Gromley et al.: page 101
Description
The YJ-83 uses mi ...
missile. Its main weapon is either a Mil Mi-4
The Mil Mi-4 (USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 36", NATO reporting name "Hound") is a Soviet transport helicopter that served in both military and civilian roles.
Design and development
The Mi-4 was designed in response to the American H-19 Chick ...
or Mil Mi-14
The Mil Mi-14 (russian: Миль Ми-14, NATO reporting name: Haze) is a Soviet shore-based nuclear-capable amphibious anti-submarine helicopter derived from the earlier Mi-8.
Design and development
Formal development of an anti-submarine warf ...
helicopter.
In June 2014, propaganda pictures from the North Korean state TV briefly showed one of the newly built patrol SES vessels, firing a Kh-35
The Zvezda Kh-35 (russian: Х-35 , AS-20 'Kayak') is a Soviet turbojet subsonic cruise anti-ship missile. The missile can be launched from helicopters, surface ships and coastal defence batteries with the help of a rocket booster, in which c ...
anti-ship cruise missile. Despite some initial doubts over the nature of the missile, they appear to be built in North Korea and have been exported to Myanmar (earlier speculations believed they were imported from Myanmar). The missile gives the KPN the potential to considerably improve its anti-surface missiles.[ In addition to the missiles, the SES vessels show a reversed-engined gun of .
Kh-35 missiles were also installed during 2014 on one of the two old Najin-class frigates (replacing the previous obsolete KN-01 missiles): the ship also received upgrades in gunnery.
In autumn 2014, satellite images identified a newly built submarine of a new class: with a length of 67metres, it's the largest-ever submarine built so far by North Korea, it's believed to be related to older Yugoslavian projects, but if mass-built could potentially replace the aging fleet of Romeo submarines.
In spring 2015, the new ]submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
was observed at sea during trials, paired with a test of the KN-11
The Pukguksong-1 or Pukkŭksŏng-1, Bukgeukseong-1 (Hangul: 북극성1호, Hanja: 北極星1号, literally Polaris-1), alternatively KN-11 in intelligence communities outside North Korea, is a North Korean, two-stage submarine-launched ballisti ...
missile.
Structure
Bases
The KPN has 20 bases split between the two coasts (Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...
and Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. It is one of four seas named after common colour terms ...
) with major and minor bases:
West Sea Fleet
The western fleet has approximately 300 watercraft (administrative, operational and logistic support), berthing facility for Yellow Sea Fleet; home to shipyard and sub base
* Ch'o-do: small support base and home to Sqron 9 (Fast Attack Craft)
* Haeju
Haeju () is a city located in South Hwanghae Province near Haeju Bay in North Korea. It is the administrative centre of South Hwanghae Province. As of 2008, the population of the city is estimated to be 273,300. At the beginning of the 20th century ...
: major naval base and ship repair facility close to Demarcation Line
* Kwangyang-ni
* Pip'a-got: limited operational and logistical support to patrol craft; also home to some subs
* Sagot (Sagon-ni): home to Sqron 8
* Sunwi-do
* Tasa-ri: small naval base
* Yomju
Yŏmju County is a ''kun'', or county, in northwestern North P'yŏngan province, North Korea, on the coast of the Yellow Sea. It is bordered by Ryongch'ŏn and P'ihyŏn to the north, Tongrim to the east, and Ch'ŏlsan to the south; to the wes ...
(Yomju-gun)
* Yongwi-do
East Sea Fleet
The eastern fleet has approximately 470 ships and small craft.
* Ch'aho (Ch'aho-nodongjagu) - one of two sub bases in North Korea
* Ch'angjon: home base for smaller patrol boats
* Mayangdo: operation and logistical support for submarines, antisubmarine craft, and patrol craft; one of 2 sub bases in North Korea
* Mugyepo: base for patrol boats, landing crafts and frigate
* Puam Dong: base for patrol boats, landing craft
* Puam-ni: small base for landing craft and patrol boats
* Rason
Rason (formerly Rajin-Sŏnbong; ) is a North Korean special city and ice-free port in the Sea of Japan in the North Pacific Ocean on the northeast tip of North Korea. It is in the Kwanbuk region and location of the Rason Special Economic Zon ...
(Rajin): major naval operating and training centre
* Songjon-Pando: support base for patrol and missile boats; part of the larger Wonsan naval/maritime complex
* T'oejo-dong: base for patrol boats and 1 frigate
* Wonsan
Wŏnsan (), previously known as Wŏnsanjin (), Port Lazarev, and Genzan (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwŏn Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...
(Munch'on): large maritime complex and HQ for the eastern fleet
Some ships are domestically built at Wonsan and Nampho shipyards. Southern bases on each coasts are used to organize infiltrations into South Korea and Japan.
Weapons
* MSI Yukto I/II countermeasures
* manned naval CIWS system of (gatling)
* Oto Melara 76 mm
The OTO Melara 76 mm gun is a naval gun built and designed by the Italian defence company OTO Melara. It is based on the OTO Melara 76/62C and evolved toward 76/62 SR and 76/62 Strales.
The system is compact enough to be installed on rel ...
* unmanned naval CIWS system of (gatling). Similar to Soviet dual AK-230.
* Pukkuksong-3
* R-27 Zyb
The R-27 Zyb was a submarine-launched ballistic missile developed by the Soviet Union and employed by the Soviet Navy from 1968 through 1988. NATO assigned the missile the reporting name SS-N-6 Serb. In the USSR, it was given the GRAU index 4K ...
, KN-11
The Pukguksong-1 or Pukkŭksŏng-1, Bukgeukseong-1 (Hangul: 북극성1호, Hanja: 北極星1号, literally Polaris-1), alternatively KN-11 in intelligence communities outside North Korea, is a North Korean, two-stage submarine-launched ballisti ...
SLBM (if KN-08
The Hwasong-13 (), also known as Rodong-C () or KN-08 under the U.S. naming convention, is a road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile believed to be under development by North Korea. The changes shown in the mock-up displayed in October 20 ...
is derived from obtained R-29)
* BM25 Musudan
The Hwasong-10 (), also known by the names BM-25 and Musudan (), is a mobile intermediate-range ballistic missile developed by North Korea. Hwasong-10 was first revealed to the international community in a military parade on 10 October 2010 cele ...
* Kumsong-3 in coastal defense configuration.
* Kh-28
The Kh-28 (russian: Х-28; Nisan-28; NATO: AS-9 'Kyle') was the first Soviet anti-radiation missile for tactical aircraft. It entered production in 1973 and is still carried on some Sukhoi Su-22s in developing countries but is no longer in Russia ...
* C-602
The YJ-62 () is a Chinese subsonic anti-ship cruise missile. It is manufactured by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Third Academy.
Description
In a September 2014 article published in Joint Forces Quarterly, the YJ-62 is c ...
YJ62
* C802 YJ82
* Silkworm missile
The SY (), and HY () series were early anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) developed by the People's Republic of China from the Soviet P-15 Termit missile. They entered service in the late 1960s and remained the main ASCMs deployed by the People's ...
s, KN-1
* P-15 Termit
The P-15 ''Termit'' (russian: П-15 "Термит"; en, termite) is an anti-ship missile developed by the Soviet Union's MKB Raduga, Raduga design bureau in the 1950s. Its GRAU designation was 4K40, its NATO reporting name was ''Styx'' or SS-N ...
s, KN-1
* P-35s
* SA-16 9K310 Igla-1 SAM system
* 122 mm (5 in) gun M1931/37 (A-19) guns
* SM-4-1
* M-1992 130 mm self-propelled gun
* 152 mm (6 in) howitzer-gun M1937 (ML-20) ML towed artillery
Ranks and uniforms
Ranks
The Korean People's Army Navy has five categories of ranks; flag officers, senior officers, junior officers, petty officers, and seamen.
Enlisted ratings
Officers
Marshals
Occasionally KPA Navy officers are promoted above Fleet Admiral. In that case, they wear army-style uniform, since ranks from Vice-Marshal and above are not divided into army, navy and air force.
Uniforms
The naval officers wear black jackets and pants with blue shirt and dark tie underneath. Their peaked cap
The peaked cap, peaked hat, service cap, barracks cover or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations, as well as many uniformed civilian organisations such as law enforcement agencies and fire departments. It ...
s are from the Soviet era. In summer jackets are white in the full dress uniform.
Junior ratings and seamen wear white shirts (in the summer) or navy blue shirts (in the winter) with black/white jackets and slacks (skirts for women) and wear sailor cap
A sailor cap is a round, flat visorless hat worn by sailors in many of the world's navies. A tally, an inscribed black silk ribbon, is tied around the base which usually bears the name of a ship or a navy. Many navies (e.g. Germany) tie the tal ...
s.
All ranks wear shoulder and collar insignia while all officers, flag officers included, wear sleeve insignia as well in their service blue uniforms.
Anniversary
At first, an ordinance issued by the Supreme People's Assembly
The Supreme People's Assembly (SPA; ) is the unicameral legislature of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea. It consists of one deputy from each of the DPRK's 687 constituencies, elected to five-year ...
on June 3, 1972, designated August 28 as the Navy Day, claiming that the first leader Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...
organized the Torpedo Unit on that date of 1949. In 1993 the North Korean authorities changed it to June 5, as its "Maritime Security Corps" were organized on June 5, 1946.
See also
* Northern Limit Line
The Northern Limit Line or North Limit Line (NLL) – 북방한계선 (in ROK) – is a disputed maritime demarcation line in the Yellow (West) Sea between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the north, and the Republic of Ko ...
* Korean Demilitarized Zone
The Korean Demilitarized Zone (Korean: ; Hanbando Bimujang Jidae) is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in ha ...
* Defense Industry of North Korea
North Korea's defence industry predates the Korean War, but has emerged as a major supplier to the North Korean armed forces beginning in the 1970s, but increasingly so after the fall of the Soviet Union and to supplement those purchased from Chin ...
* Republic of Korea Armed Forces
The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (), also known as the ROK Armed Forces, are the armed forces of South Korea. The ROK Armed Forces is one of the largest and most powerful standing armed forces in the world with a reported personnel strength of ...
* Republic of Korea Navy
The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN; ko, 대한민국 해군), also known as the ROK Navy or South Korean Navy, is the naval warfare service branch of the South Korean armed forces, responsible for naval and amphibious operations. The ROK Navy in ...
* Korean People's Army Ground Force
The Korean People's Army Ground Force (KPAGF; ) is the main branch of the Korean People's Army, responsible for land-based military operations.
History
The Korean People's Army Ground Force was formed on August 20, 1947. It outnumbered and out ...
* Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force
The Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force (KPAAF; ; Hanja: 朝鮮人民軍 航空 및 反航空軍 ) is the unified military aviation force of North Korea. It is the second largest branch of the Korean People's Army comprising an estimated ...
References
External links
Korean People's Army Navy
Military and Security Developments Involving the Democratic People's Republic of Korea 2012
“Everything You Need to Know about North Korea's Navy” National Interest
{{Korea topics
Military units and formations established in 1946