The North Korean Army: History, Structure, Daily Life

This book focuses on the Korean People’s Army (KPA) - the armed forces of North Korea - covering its history, structural organisation and lives of the soldiers and officers within its ranks.

Utilising extensive Korean, English, Russian and Chinese language sources, as well as multiple interviews with people who have served in the KPA, this book provides an illuminating insight into the experience of KPA personnel. It presents fascinating and detailed examples of everyday life in the KPA, such as the systems of discipline and reprimands, the experience of women in the army, typical salaries and daily food allowances. The book also succinctly traces the history of the KPA from its foundation under the guidance of the Soviet Union and the experiences of the Korean War, through to the current iteration under Kim Jong-un.

This pioneering work will be of huge interest to students and scholars of North Korea, the Cold War, Military Studies and Communism.

Fyodor Tertitskiy is Leading Researcher at the Institute for Korean Studies at Kookmin University, South Korea. He studies North Korean military, social and political history and is the author of the Korean-language book ＂North Korea before Kim Il-sŏng＂ (2018).