Col. Gen. Kim Yong Bok

updated 2 January 2025

Colonel General Kim Yong Bok is Vice Chief of the Korean People’s Army [KPA] General Staff with responsibility for light infantry and special operations forces [SOF].  He is also a member of the Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Central Committee.  Col. Gen. Kim is commander of KPA Large Combined Unit (taeyonhap pudae)#630 which is part of the XI Army Corps (a.k.a the Storm Corps).  He is also a member of the Workers’ Party of Korea [WPK] Central Committee.

Col. Gen. Kim has held a series of successive command positions in the DPRK’s light industry and SOF.  In 2011 he was serving as a division commander or vice chief of staff in the XI Corps.  His first prominent public activity was speaking at a 2015 KPA loyalty rally commemorating the birth anniversary of late DPRK leader Kim Jong Il [Kim Cho’ng-il].  Around the same time he formally replaced Col. Gen. Choe Kyong Song [Ch’oe Kyo’ng-so’ng] as commanding officer of the XI Army Corps, the KPA’s “Storm Corps”.  His appointment was publicized in April 2015 when he attended military exercises with Kim Jong Un [Kim Cho’ng-u’n]

He was elected a member of the WPK Central Committee during the 7th Party Congress in May 2016.  In 2017 he was identified as commander of KPA Large Combined Unit (tayonhap pudae) #630, the largest SOF unit in the DPRK’s XI Corps (a/k/a Storm Corps).  He was promoted to Colonel-General (sangjang) in April 2017, a promotions order which included other members of the KPA high command with close ties Kim Jong Un.  In the summer of 2017 he planned a large SOF live fire exercise which was observed and guided by Kim Jong Un.  At the time it was not clear if Col. Gen. Kim concurrently served as head of the XI Army Corps and KPA Large Combined Unit #630 or is just commander of the latter unit.

Kim Yong Bok was returned to full WPK Central Committee Member status during the 8th Party Congress in January 2021.  He remained a member of the KPA’s high command although his position was not clear until DPRK state media identified him as Vice Chief of the KPA General Staff when he attended SOF exercises with KJU.

According to Ukrainian intelligence reporting, Col. Gen. Kim traveled to Russia during October 2024 as part of North Korean Forces in Ukraine [NKFU].  It is highly probable, his tasks include liaison and administrative work with Russian counterparts, establishing an HQ and command system for KPA forces on the ground.