North Korea has begun reorganizing its Naval Hydrographic Office into a combat-oriented strategic operations agency following orders from leader Kim Jong Un to strengthen naval power.
The North Korean Naval Hydrographic Office collects, analyzes and documents maritime environmental information necessary for naval operations, functioning similarly to South Korea’s Naval Information Unit.
A military source inside North Korea told Daily NK on May 12, “A ‘comprehensive reorganization plan for the Naval Command’s Hydrographic Office’ was issued on May 2 following a decision by the Korean People’s Army Party Committee to implement the supreme commander’s (Kim Jong Un’s) orders.”
According to the source, this reorganization is upgrading the Naval Hydrographic Office into a core strategic agency leading maritime operations. The office will support not only integrated naval operations between the East and West Sea fleets but also joint operations with the air force and strategic forces.
This measure is an effort to overcome the difficulties in integrated maritime operations between the East and West Sea fleets due to geographical constraints. The source explained that establishing integrated routes between these fleets, considering their geographical separation, is the core of this naval reorganization.
“Building integrated routes between the East and West Sea fleets doesn’t simply mean connecting sea areas, but designing integrated routes for joint operations with other military branches such as the air force and strategic forces,” the source said. “The Naval Hydrographic Office is being reorganized into a theater-integrated organization to enable joint strikes and multiple command systems in maritime combat.”
The Korean People’s Army Party Committee emphasized repeatedly while issuing this reorganization plan that the Naval Hydrographic Office should no longer be just a department that produces nautical charts but should play a leading role as a core strategic operations agency for naval forces.
The source said that with this reorganization, various new departments are being established within the Naval Hydrographic Office, including an “operational route design department” responsible for designing underwater routes specialized for nuclear-powered submarines, building deep-sea infiltration zones, and analyzing routes with cruisers and new destroyers in mind.
Personnel changes have also been taking place since May 7, with many staff previously responsible for creating nautical charts and conducting surveys being transferred or discharged. Regarding this, the source said, “Personnel familiar only with existing tasks have been unable to adapt to rapid changes, so many have received re-education orders or been removed from the Naval Hydrographic Office.”
The source added: “This reorganization is not simply changing departments and replacing personnel; it’s being called a major transformation. Within the navy, this reorganization is being received as tearing down an old house and building a new one, as the Naval Hydrographic Office transforms into a core strategic agency that plans integrated routes for where, how, and with which military branches to conduct joint operations in preparation for actual combat.”
