by Lorenzo Rossi
The images of an operetta-like country circulating on the news and online must not lead us to underestimate its army. In reality, North Korea is a very dangerous military power, capable of disrupting world structures. His entry into the Ukrainian scene should worry us. And not a little.
The North Korean army is one of the largest in the world, with 1.5 million active soldiers and over 7 million reservists and paramilitaries. For years, its conventional arsenal, of Chinese and Russian origin, has been judged by international experts as obsolete and even archaic. However, with Kim Jong Un’s rise to power in 2012, the country began a massive modernization of its military that, by some estimates, takes up more than 30 percent of the national budget. This has transformed the North Korean army, now well equipped and structured, into a power to be reckoned with. Pyongyang’s army is no longer an ill-equipped, malnourished and poorly trained force today.
With 10,000 soldiers already deployed in Russia and on the Ukrainian front, Pyongyang demonstrates its ability to expand its military reach beyond Asian borders. The North Korean military includes 550 fighters, 300 attack helicopters, 400 combat ships, 70 submarines, over 5,000 tanks and 3,000 armored vehicles, a vast arsenal and, despite its age, maintained in full working order. A former Chinese military attache noted that, even with less advanced weaponry, North Korea’s offensive capability remains dangerous: cannons and projectiles, even antiquated ones, can cause serious damage to the enemy.
North Korea presents itself as an enigma to foreign intelligence services, with military installations hidden in caves and mountains, safe from prying eyes. Recently, South Korean services recorded the sending of over 14,000 containers of ammunition to Russia, visible via satellite, along with 3,000 soldiers from special units.
The North Korean military has elite units of sharpshooters and highly trained special forces. These departments were protagonists of international operations such as the assassination, in 2017, of Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong Un’s half-brother, eliminated with a nerve agent without leaving traces. These specialized personnel are equipped with modern communications equipment, increasing North Korea’s operational capabilities in unconventional warfare settings.
To understand the extent of the militarization of the population, just consider that in North Korea compulsory military service lasts ten years for men and six for women. In short, North Korea is a gigantic Asian Sparta. However, every citizen is ideologically prepared to fight against anyone perceived as an enemy.
