Maj. Gen. Sin Kum Chol

Major General Sin Kum Chol (left) attends KJU’s 2 October 2024 inspection of KPA SOF training exercises (Photo: KCNA).

Sin Kum Chol is a vice chief of staff in the Korean People’s Army [KPA] XI Corps, North Korea’s largest special operations forces [SOF] and light infantry unit.  Sin’s name first appeared in DPRK state media when he was promoted to Major General (sojang) during a meeting of the Party Central Military Commission on 23 May 2020.  Sin may have appeared with other XI Corps command staff at North Korea’s military parades in 2023. He attended Kim Jong Un’s (KJU; Kim Cho’ng-u’n) 2 October 2024 inspection of KPA SOF training.  According to Ukrainian intelligence reports, Maj. Gen. Sin deployed to Russia in mid-October 2024.  Based on his rank, public activity and deployment, it is highly probable that Maj. Gen. Sin will serve as commander of North Korean Forces in Ukraine [NKFU].