Korean People's Army

Korean People's Army
조선인민군 Chosŏn inmin'gun
Emblem of the Korean People's Army
Flag of the Korean People's Army
Founded	25 April 1932; 92 years ago (1932-04-25)
Current form	8 February 1948; 76 years ago (1948-02-08)
Service branches	Korean People's Army Ground Force  Korean People's Navy  Korean People's Army Air Force  Korean People's Army Strategic Force Korean People's Army Special Operation Force Missile General Bureau
Headquarters	State Affairs Commission, Pyongyang
Leadership
Governing body	Central Military Commission (CMC)
CMC leadership	Chairman: Marshal Kim Jong Un Vice Chairmen: Marshal Ri Pyong-chol Vice Marshal Ri Yong-gil
Minister of Defence	Army General Kang Sun-nam
Chief of the General Staff	Vice Marshal Ri Yong-gil
Director of the General Political Bureau	Army General Jong Kyong-thaek
Personnel
Military age	17–30
Conscription	Yes
Active personnel	1,320,000[1] (ranked 5th)
Reserve personnel	560,000+[1]
Expenditures
Budget	US$2 billion (2023)[2]
Percent of GDP	5.0% (2018)[2]
Industry
Domestic suppliers	Korea Mining and Development Trading Corporation Nampo Kangso Missile Factory No 28 Shipyard Najin Nampo Shipyard
Foreign suppliers	China  Iran  Russia  Soviet Union (historical)
Related articles
Ranks	Military ranks of North Korea

Politics of North Korea
Constitution Juche  (state ideology) Songun  ("military-first" policy) Eternal leaders Kim Il Sung Kim Jong Il
Workers' Party of Korea Congress (8th) General Secretary and Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un Rules Central Committee (8th) Politburo (8th) Presidium (8th) Kim Jong Un Choe Ryong-hae Jo Yong-won Kim Tok-hun Ri Pyong-chol Secretariat (8th) Central Military Commission (8th) Chairman Kim Jong Un Vice Chairman Ri Yong-gil Ri Pyong-chol Central Auditing Commission (8th) Chairman Kim Jae-ryong Organization and Guidance Department Propaganda and Agitation Department United Front Department
Supreme People's Assembly 14th term Chairman Pak In-chol Standing Committee (14th) Chairman Choe Ryong-hae Judiciary Central Court (14th) President Kang Yun-sok Central Public Prosecutors (14th) Director Kim Myong-gil
State Affairs Commission 14th term President Kim Jong Un First Vice President Choe Ryong-hae Vice President Kim Tok-hun
Cabinet 14th term Premier Kim Tok-hun Vice Premier Pak Jong-gun Jon Hyon-chol Kim Song-ryong Ri Song-hak Pak Hun Ju Chol-gyu
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The Korean People's Army (KPA; Korean: 조선인민군; MR: Chosŏn inmin'gun) encompasses the combined military forces of North Korea and the armed wing of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The KPA consists of five branches: the Ground Force, the Naval Force, the Air Force, Strategic Force, and the Special Operation Force. It is commanded by the WPK Central Military Commission, which is chaired by the WPK general secretary, and the president of the State Affairs; both posts are currently headed by Kim Jong Un.

The KPA considers its primary adversaries to be the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and United States Forces Korea, across the Korean Demilitarized Zone, as it has since the Armistice Agreement of July 1953. As of 2021^[update] it is the second largest military organisation in the world, with 29.9% of the North Korean population actively serving, in reserve or in a paramilitary capacity.^[3][4]