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

Kim Yong Bok Elevated to GSD 1st Vice Chief

Col. Gen. Kim Yong Bok (Kim Yo’ng-pok) has been elevated to 1st Vice Chief of the Korean People’s Army [KPA] General Staff [GSD].   He was identified in that high command position when he issued […]

Aug, 25

Images of KPA Overseas Mission Return Performance

As part of a series of events held to mark the first group of military personnel returning from Russia, a performance was held at the 25 April House of Culture in Pyongyang on or around […]

Aug, 25

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

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

Thursday is a SPA Day

The 14th Supreme People’s Assembly [SPA] opens its five-year term of office with its first session. In the days leading up to the SPA’s convocation, Kim Jong Un (Kim Cho’ng-u’n) conducted a walk through of […]

Apr, 10

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