Combat Power of the 'North Korean Storm Corps' Nearing Deployment [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Russian Deployment of North Korean Troops May Begin as Early as This Week
Combat Experience Possible but Local Adaptation Uncertain

North Korean troops deployed to Russia are expected to be sent to the battlefield as early as this week. While there are concerns that North Korea's elite special forces may gain combat experience, some opinions suggest that their combat effectiveness will be limited due to difficulties in adapting to the local environment and communication barriers.

According to foreign media, the ground forces that North Korea dispatched for the first time are believed to have already arrived in Kursk Oblast in southwestern Russia. On the 28th (local time), the U.S. Department of Defense announced that North Korea had sent about 10,000 troops to Russia, some of whom have already moved closer to the Ukrainian front. This area was recaptured by Ukraine in August during its counteroffensive and is located on Russia's northwestern border. Since the end of World War II, this is the first time Russia's mainland has been invaded by an external force, dealing a significant blow to President Putin's pride. From Russia's perspective, this is a place that must be reclaimed even at great cost, making fierce battles inevitable.

The Core of North Korean Army Special Operations: the ‘Pokpoong Corps’

The official name of the North Korean unit deployed here is the 11th Corps, also known as the ‘Pokpoong Corps’ (Storm Corps). The 11th Corps was formed in early and mid-January 1967 by merging the 17th Reconnaissance Brigade’s 283rd and 124th military units under the Ministry of National Defense’s Reconnaissance General Bureau. In 1991, the 11th Corps featured in the film Shiri, starring actor Choi Min-sik, joined the unit. It serves as the backbone of North Korea’s Army Special Operations Forces. The 11th Corps regularly appears in military parades on Army Foundation Day. It was the first unit to appear at the large-scale 75th Army Foundation Day parade in February last year, thrilling the North Korean people. The Ministry of National Defense also cited the 11th Corps as a representative special unit in its 2022 Defense White Paper.

This unit infiltrates both the front and rear areas of South Korean territory during wartime using various means such as tunnels, submarines, hovercraft, and AN-2 aircraft. Its main mission is sabotage operations. Sabotage tactics include striking units and facilities, assassinating key figures, and disrupting rear areas. Kim Young-bok, former commander of the Pokpoong Corps and current Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army, is reported to have personally traveled to Russia, suggesting the deployed unit’s role could expand. They may be tasked with stabilizing Kursk, including nuclear power plant security, or providing rear support.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, there are also assessments that the combat capability of the 11th Corps is exaggerated due to differences in terrain compared to North Korea. The Pokpoong Corps has been trained intensively for infiltration, assassination, and infrastructure destruction in the mountainous terrain of South Korea. In contrast, the open fields stretching from Kursk to Ukraine are battlefields characterized by trench warfare and attrition. This means the Pokpoong Corps is not suited for plains combat.

Unknown Communication Ability Due to Lack of Joint Training with Russia

Communication is also a problem. North Korean troops have almost no experience conducting joint exercises with Russian forces. If language and communication issues arise, command and control may not function smoothly. On the 25th, the Ukrainian media outlet Kyiv Independent released intercepted conversations of Russian soldiers, revealing dissatisfaction with the assignment of one interpreter per 30 North Korean soldiers and three Russian officers. Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun’s remark during the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee hearing on the 24th that "although called deployment, they are essentially cannon fodder mercenaries" is interpreted as reflecting this assessment.

The average age of North Korean soldiers is around 20 years old. They belong to the ‘Jangmadang generation’ that has experienced capitalism. Having grown up inside North Korea, they may easily become unsettled if thrust into their first war in an unfamiliar environment and confronted with the fear of death. The Kursk region has seen intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces, resulting in numerous casualties. With approximately 615,000 Russian casualties, including 115,000 deaths, already recorded, the deployment of North Korean troops to this area would inevitably lead to heavy losses.

Kim Dae-young, a military research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Strategic Studies, said, "Although they are elite troops within the North Korean army, it will be difficult for them to demonstrate effective combat power in the Ukraine war, where thousands of drones fly daily."

Psychological Warfare Could Induce Desertion and Defection

A government delegation composed of senior intelligence and military officials, including Hong Jang-won, First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service, and Park Jin-young, Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Intelligence Department, is scheduled to visit Ukraine to meet with local intelligence and defense officials to assess the situation and discuss response measures. The delegation plans to verify specific information about the size and battlefield deployment of North Korean troops in Ukraine and discuss the dispatch of monitoring teams to Ukraine.

Some argue that psychological warfare could be actively employed instead of lethal weapons. Since the young soldiers are curious about the outside world and many have been exposed to Korean dramas and other media, they may harbor admiration for South Korean society. If they become aware of the falsity of the North Korean regime, they could be vulnerable to psychological operations. Captured North Korean soldiers might be persuaded through interpreters to defect to South Korea, potentially leading to group desertion following their commanders or defection during the chaos of battle.

A government official said, "Videos believed to have been filmed locally indicate that North Korea has sent young soldiers. While there is the advantage of gaining combat experience, it is uncertain how much they will be utilized on the battlefield."