Page 31 - 2018 Defense White Paper

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corps, 2 mechanized corps, 91 Capital Defense Corps 19) , Anti-Aircraft Artillery Corps, 11 th
Chapter 1
Corps 20) , 1 armored division, 4 mechanized infantry divisions, and 1 artillery division under the
control of the General Staff Department.
The General Staff Department was recently restructured by adding the Command Intelligence

Bureau, among others, and established an integrated tactical command and control system 21) to
strengthen C4I 22) capabilities while building up cyber-warfare capabilities.
North Korea maintains a readiness posture capable of carrying out a surprise attack at any

given time by positioning 70% of its Ground Force south of the Pyongyang-Wonsan line. The
forward-deployed 170mm self-propelled guns and 240mm Multiple Rocket Launchers (MRLs),
for instance, provide North Korea with the capability for a large-scale and concentrated surprise

fire targeted at the Greater Seoul Metropolitan Area. The recently developed 300mm MRLs 23)
are capable of reaching the central region of the ROK. North Korea has also produced additional
122mm and 200mm towed-MRLs , and deployed them mainly in coastal and frontline areas.
24)
Moreover, it has lately developed and operates various special munitions , including extended-
25)
range munitions and precision-guided munitions. The operational capabilities of armored and
mechanized units have been upgraded through additional production or partial performance

enhancement of new equipment such as Songun-ho and Chunma-ho.
The manpower of North Korean special operations force is currently estimated to be 200,000.
Special operations forces are organized into various units at the strategic, operational, and tactical
echelons including the 11 Corps; light infantry divisions and brigades, and sniper brigades of
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the for ward located corps; sniper brigades under the Navy, and the Air and Anti-Air Force; and
the light infantry regiment of the for ward divisions. North Korea continues to strengthen its

19) Formerly Pyongyang Defense Command
20) A strategic special operations unit known as Storm Corps
21) A system that assists the decision-making and strike orders by the commander (GS-2000)
22) Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence
23) North Korea tested its 300mm MRL multiple times and unveiled it at the military parade held to commemorate
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the 70 anniversary of the foundation of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
24) It is a type of an MLR remodeled to tow vehicles and tractors in emergencies. Only the artillery of the rocket
launcher installed in the vehicle is in operation at normal times.
25) North Korean forces has developed and used various special ammunitions including precision-guided munitions
that have evolved from the munitions of MLRs, extended range–guided munitions, Dual Purpose Improved
Conventional Munitions (DPICM), flame munitions, and anti-aircraft airborne grenades.

Section 3 North Korean Situation and Military Threats 29