Updated 2025-10-15T13:12:01Z Share Facebook Email X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky WhatsApp Copy link lightning bolt icon An icon shaped like an electrifying bolt of lightning, symbolizing both power and energy. Impact Link Save Saved Read in app This exclusive feature is accessible only to subscribers of Business Insider. Become an Insider and begin exploring in-depth journalism now. Already have an account? Log in.
North Korea’s armed forces, recognized as the fourth-largest military organization across the globe, continue to exist beneath a dense veil of secrecy, where information flows sparingly and even the most fundamental details remain elusive. In this hermetically sealed nation, compulsory service applies to both men and women, reflecting the country’s emphasis on militarization as an unshakable pillar of national identity and state control. Strikingly, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, who commands one of the world’s largest and most formidable armies, has never received formal military training or experience—a fact that juxtaposes sharply against the sheer scale of the army he oversees.
The internal workings of North Korea—often referred to as the “hermit kingdom”—have long fascinated and confounded the outside world. Still, even less is known about the Korean People’s Army (KPA), the massive institution ranking just behind the militaries of China, India, and the United States in size. Due to the government’s rigid restrictions on movement and its meticulous control of information, infiltration or even access beyond the nation’s borders remains exceedingly challenging. Yet, isolated photographic evidence occasionally pierces this wall of secrecy, offering brief glimpses into the lives of soldiers whose existence is defined by order, loyalty, and relentless discipline.
The history of this divided peninsula traces back to the traumatic eruption of the Korean War in 1950, when 75,000 North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel in an unexpected invasion of the South, igniting one of the 20th century’s most defining conflicts. The northern forces, bolstered by Chinese alliances, initially pushed American and South Korean troops back, a campaign celebrated within the North as a shared triumph of communist solidarity. That brutal war concluded in 1953 with an armistice, effectively freezing the division between North and South at the 38th parallel, an arrangement supported by the Soviet Union on one side and the United States on the other. Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s founding leader, signed the Korean Armistice Agreement—a document that would establish a formal Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a heavily fortified frontier that remains one of the most militarized borders on the planet.
Appointed by the Soviet authorities, Kim Il Sung assumed control of the newly established Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Upon his death in 1994, leadership transferred to his son Kim Jong Il, who maintained the state’s rigid ideological foundations and military-first policy. Following Kim Jong Il’s sudden death from a heart attack in 2011, Kim Jong Un ascended to power, inheriting not only the political apparatus of the regime but also command over its immense military structure. Despite presiding over what is numerically the fourth-largest armed force in existence, Kim Jong Un’s lack of military credentials has frequently been noted by international observers.
Known officially as the Korean People’s Army (KPA), North Korea’s military force comprises a staggering 1.3 million active members, according to estimates from the CIA World Factbook. Supporting them are approximately seven million additional personnel involved through paramilitary divisions, reserves, and protective command units. Service is universal and mandatory—most North Koreans begin after completing secondary education. Men can serve as long as thirteen years, while women generally commit to a seven-year term. Before 2015, female enlistment was voluntary, but that changed when national policy shifted, enforcing mandatory participation by all adult women. Those pursuing higher education are obligated to serve five years after graduation, though individuals specializing in science are granted a reduced service period of roughly three years under a policy enacted by Kim Jong Un in 2015.
The defense industry, though shrouded in unreliable statistics, reportedly employs around two million workers as of 2023, according to 38 North. Furthermore, due to stringent state restrictions, the majority of vehicles in the country belong to governmental or military sectors, leaving private ownership as a rarity almost exclusive to high-ranking officials or state institutions. Reports from defectors and independent sources suggest that soldiers frequently experience food shortages, malnutrition, and demanding training regimens that test both physical and psychological endurance.
Among its structural branches, the KPA Air Force stands as the second-largest, boasting approximately 110,000 members. Despite its size, the air fleet reportedly comprises between 500 and 900 aircraft—predominantly aging models with origins tracing back to the 1990s, according to assessments from the US Department of Defense. The naval forces, as detailed by the 2021 Defense Intelligence Agency, include around 260 amphibious landing crafts, which support coastal operations and potential landing missions. In 2023, the regime held a launch ceremony for an upgraded Cold War-era submarine purportedly capable of carrying missile systems—though the vessel’s operational competence remains unverified and speculative.
The roots of North Korea’s missile development date to the late 1960s, evolving over decades of experimentation and secrecy. While the full extent of these capabilities remains ambiguous, the country is widely believed to possess a combination of short-, medium-, and long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching varying distances beyond the Korean Peninsula. In addition, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists reported in 2021 that North Korea could have acquired sufficient fissile materials to construct between 40 and 50 nuclear warheads. Nuclear testing has been confirmed in 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016, and 2017—each test marking a steady progression toward more sophisticated and destructive weaponry. Following the successful detonation of a hydrogen bomb in 2017, Kim Jong Un personally presided over celebrations honoring the scientists and engineers responsible for the test.
Not all of North Korea’s military endeavors revolve around warfare technology; the nation also maintains the Central Military Band of the Korean People’s Army—a ceremonial ensemble that performs at state-sponsored events and international functions, exemplifying the regime’s inclination to blend cultural expression with ideological display. Despite these occasional spectacles, North Korea’s military establishment, though vast and visually imposing, continues to be defined by opacity and mystery. What little the world perceives of its inner workings serves only to emphasize how carefully guarded the regime’s secrets remain.
Members of the KPA routinely participate in night drills, expansive parades, and public showcases meant to demonstrate the regime’s might and unity of purpose. Yet beneath the orchestrated pageantry lies a nation where information is tightly controlled, loyalty is monitored, and the outside world can grasp only fragments of truth through rare, sanctioned images or defector testimony.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in May 2016 and underwent a comprehensive update in October 2025 to reflect new data and context regarding North Korea’s military structure and the evolving leadership of the nation.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/rare-pictures-of-north-korea-military-2016-4
