North Korea Leadership Watch

Research and Analysis on the DPRK Leadership

KPA SOF Restructuring

  The Korean People’s Army (KPA) is restructuring its special operations forces (SOF) and adjusted some training oversight to the KPA General Staff Department (GSD) Operations Bureau.  On or around 28 March (Saturday), Kim Jong […]

Mar, 28

Changes to KPA Corps Commanders (corrected and revised 3 November 2025)

revised and corrected to reflect no change in XI Corps Command (SOF) and deleted  redundant photo to show KPA Strategic Force commander Kim Jong Gil The 10 October 2025 military parade marking the 80th anniversary […]

Oct, 15

Guesstimating NK Troop Presence in Eastern Europe

According to the US Government, North Korea has about 12,000 personnel deployed to Russia.  Using the few, scant accurate details about the Korean People’s Army (KPA) deployment we might attain a general sense of the […]

Jan, 10

Changes to the KPA Corps Command

Now that Pyongyang watchers have processed, analyzed and digested the munitions which the Korean People’s Army [KPA] paraded through Kim Il Sung Square on 25 April (Monday), attention has now shifted to personnel.  During the […]

Apr, 30

CMC Meeting Held

Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) chaired an expanded meeting of the Korean Workers’ Party [KWP] Central Military Commission [CMC] in Pyonyang on 23 May (Saturday).  The meeting occurred “at a stirring time when the entire […]

May, 23

Kim Jong Un Visits Samjiyo’n County

KJU’s last observed appearance was his visit to Sinu’iju Textile Mill Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) visited Samjiyo’n County, Yanggang Province for several days of on the spot guidance.  Attending his visits, at various points, […]

Jul, 10

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