The Korean People’s Army (KPA) is one of the largest standing militaries in the world, consuming a disproportionate share of North Korea’s national resources while serving as the backbone of Kim Jong Un’s political power. Daily NK covers the North Korea military from the ground up — soldier living conditions, morale, discipline, and pay alongside high-level analysis of weapons development, military doctrine, and the KPA’s expanding role abroad, including troop deployments to Russia. Our sources inside North Korea provide reporting on military life that no other outlet can match.
Tag: military
N. Korean military smuggles in S. Korean face masks
A trading company affiliated with the Ministry of People's Armed Forces, the military's main logistics agency, recently smuggled in large amounts of health masks...
N. Korea cracks down on corruption in border patrol
North Korea recently launched a crackdown on illegal activities perpetrated by border guards and security officials on the Sino-North Korean border, Daily NK has...
Kim Jong Un urges wartime readiness after Soleimani killing
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged his military to adopt a stance of "wartime readiness" on Jan. 4, following the US assassination of...
Kim Yo Jong continues to expand authority over military affairs
Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reportedly gave orders to the entire North Korean military in her...
N. Korean soldiers increasingly strained by construction projects
Soldiers in the Korean People’s Army (KPA) have taken an increasing role in large-scale construction projects pursued as part of North Korea's "five-year strategy...
N. Korea bolsters combat readiness of elite military unit
On Dec. 7, a special education session was reportedly provided to the “Storm Corps,” an elite military unit tasked with the infiltration of South...
Prominent N. Korean military university faces power shortages
North Korea’s electric power crisis has impacted not just the Korean People’s Army, but also North Korea’s main institution in the development of strategic...
N. Korea curbs electricity use in military hospitals
On Nov. 5, North Korean authorities ordered its army to minimize the electricity consumption of military hospitals as well as during its winter training...
Kim Jong Un prods N. Korean military to prepare for war...
In mid-October, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivered an address to the North Korean army ordering his soldiers to “concentrate all efforts on...
Parents of dead N. Korean soldier barred from viewing remains
The parents of a soldier, who died at the Samsok District training camp in Pyongyang, were denied access to his remains. Instead, they only...
