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North Korea The Army
Over 90 percent of all KPA personnel in 1992--more than 1
million troops--were in the ground forces, the North Korean army.
Ground forces in 1960 may have totalled fewer than 400,000
persons and probably did not rise much above that figure before
1972. The force expanded relentlessly over the next two decades;
in 1992, there were approximately 1 million personnel. The size,
organization, disposition, and combat capabilities of the army
give P'yongyang military options both for offensive operations to
reunify the peninsula and for credible defensive operations
against any perceived threat from South Korea.
The army is largely an infantry force although a decade-long
modernization program has significantly improved the mobility and
firepower of its active forces. Between 1980 and 1992, North
Korea reorganized, reequipped, and forward deployed the majority
of its ground forces. The army places great emphasis on special
operations and has one of the largest special operations forces
in the world--tailored to meet the distinct requirements of
Korean terrain.
Data as of June 1993
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