Page 42 - 2020 Defence White Paper

Appendix
4

Force Posture of the Two Koreas

As of December 2020
Classification South Korea North Korea
Army 420,000 1,100,000
70,000
Navy (including 29,000 Marine Corps) 60,000
Troops
(peace time) Air Force 65,000 110,000
Strategic Force - 10,000
Total 555,000 1,280,000
Corps (including Marine Corps) 13 15
Units Divisions (including Marine Corps) 37 84
Brigades (independent (including Marine Corps) 34 117
brigades)
Tanks (including Marine Corps) Approx. 2,130 Approx. 4,300
Army
Armored vehicles (including Marine Corps) Approx. 3,000 Approx. 2,600
Equipmen Field artillery (including Marine Corps) Approx. 6,000 Approx. 8,800
MLRS/MRLs (including Marine Corps) Approx. 270 Approx. 5,500
Ground-to-ground guided Approx. 60 launchers (Strategic Force)
weapon Approx. 100 launchers
Combatants Approx. 100 Approx. 430
Major
Forces Amphibious ships Approx. 10 Approx. 250
Surface
Navy Vessels Mine countermeasures Approx. 10 Approx. 20
vessels (mine sweeper)
Auxiliary ships Approx. 20 Approx. 40
Submarines Approx. 10 Approx. 70
Fighter aircraft Approx. 410 Approx. 810
Surveillance and control (including those belonging to the (Reconnaissance aircraft)
Air aircraft Navy) Approx. 70 Approx. 30
Force Transport aircraft
(including AN-2) Approx. 50 Approx. 350
Trainers Approx. 190 Approx. 80
Helicopters (Army/Navy/Air Force) Approx. 660 Approx. 290
3.1 million 7.62 million
(including officer candidates, (including Reserve Military
Reserve forces wartime labor call, Training Unit, Worker-Peasant
and secondment and alternative Red Guards,
service personnel) and Red Youth Guard))
* Units and equipment of the other services are included in the number of units and equipment of the Army to compare military strength between the two Koreas.
* The number of North Korean field artillery do not include 76.2 mm guns that are infantry regiment-level artillery.
* The table above only provides a quantitative comparison between the military force of South Korea and North Korea. A more meaningful comparison
requires qualitative assessment based on comprehensive consideration of the relevant factors such as performance level and years-in-service of the
equipment used by the two sides, levels of training, and operational concepts of joint forces.
* As for army brigades, independent brigades organized under corps or higher-level echelons such as artillery, engineering, and aviation brigades are
included. Therefore, the 14 brigades under the command of the two North Korean mechanized corps were not included in the figures of the North
Korean brigades as the corps have been modified into divisions.
* The KPA Special Operations Force of North Korea is included in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

2020 Defense White Paper