# List of wars involving North Korea

Part of a series on the :
History of North Korea :
Division of Korea 1945–48 People's Republic of  Korea 1945–1946 Soviet Civil  Administration 1945–1948 Provisional People's  Committee of North  Korea 1946–1948 :
Kim Il Sung 1948–1994 Korean War 1950–53 Korean DMZ Conflict 1966–1969 Juche 1972 1993–1994 nuclear  crisis 1993–1994 Death and state  funeral of  Kim Il Sung 1994 :
Kim Jong Il 1994–2011 North Korean famine 1994–1998 Songun 1998 Sunshine Policy 1998–2010 Six-party talks 2003 ROKS Cheonan sinking 2010 Death and state  funeral of  Kim Jong Il 2011 :
Kim Jong Un 2011–present State Affairs  Commission 2016 2017–2018 North  Korean crisis 2017–2018 Korean peace process 2018–2019 COVID-19 pandemic 2019–2023 :
North Korea portal :
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This is a list of wars involving North Korea since 1948, when the Korean peninsula was de facto divided into North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea, ROK).
* For wars involving united Korea until 1948, see List of wars involving Korea until 1948
* For wars involving South Korea since 1948, see List of wars involving South Korea

## List of wars involving North Korea: 1948–present

| Conflict | North Korea and its allies | Opponents | Results | North Korean losses | North Korean losses | North Korea leader |
| Conflict | North Korea and its allies | Opponents | Results | Military | Civilian | North Korea leader |
| North Korea |||||||
| Korean War (1950–1953) | North Korea  China  Soviet Union | South Korea United Nations United States United Kingdom Canada Turkey Australia Philippines New Zealand Thailand Ethiopia Greece France Colombia Belgium South Africa Netherlands Luxembourg | Inconclusive Korean Demilitarized Zone established North Korea gains the city of Kaesong, but loses a net total of 3,900 km$^2$ (1,506 sq mi), including the city of Sokcho, to South Korea | 215,000– 350,000 | 1,550,000 | Kim Il Sung |
| Vietnam War (1955–1975) | North Vietnam  Viet Cong and PRG Pathet Lao Khmer Rouge GRUNK (1970–1975)  China (1965–1973)  Soviet Union  North Korea | South Vietnam  United States  South Korea  Australia  New Zealand  Laos  Cambodia (1967–1970)  Khmer Republic (1970–1975)  Thailand  Philippines  Taiwan  Spain | Victory Reunification of North Vietnam and South Vietnam into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976 | 14 | None | Kim Il Sung |
| Korean DMZ Conflict (1966–1969) | North Korea | South Korea United States | Defeat Status quo ante bellum | 2,871 | Unknown | Kim Il Sung |
| 1971 JVP insurrection (1971) | JVP Supported by: North Korea | Ceylon Sri Lankan Coalition (from 15 May) SLFP CCP (Pro-Soviet) LSSP Military intervention:  India  Pakistan  Soviet Union | Defeat The JVP controlled Ceylon's Southern Province and Sabaragamuwa Province for several weeks Rebel leaders were captured and the remaining members surrendered Ceylonese government re-established control of the entire island Expulsion of North Korean diplomats | Unknown killed Several arrested | Unknown | Kim Il Sung |
| Yom Kippur War (1973) | Egypt Syria Expeditionary forces  Saudi Arabia  Algeria  Jordan Libya Iraq  Kuwait  Tunisia  Morocco  Cuba  North Korea | Israel | Defeat Syrian invasion of Israel repelled. Israel–Syria Disengagement Agreement Geneva Conference and the Sinai II Agreement Strategic political gains for Egypt and Israel | None | None | Kim Il Sung |
| Angolan Civil War (1975–2002) | People's Republic of Angola/Republic of Angola MPLA  Cuba (1975–1989) SWAPO (1975–1989) ANC (1975–1989) Executive Outcomes (1993–1995) FLNC (1975–2001)  Namibia (2001–2002) Military advisers and pilots:  Soviet Union (1975–1989)  East Germany (1975–1989)  North Korea (1980s) | Democratic People's Republic of Angola UNITA FNLA (1975–1976) FNLA (1976–1978)  South Africa (1975–1989)  Zaire (1975) FLEC | Victory Withdrawal of all foreign forces in 1989. Transition towards a multiparty political system in 1991/92. Dissolution of the armed forces of the FNLA. Participation of UNITA and FNLA, as political parties, in the new political system, from 1991/92 onwards. Jonas Savimbi, leader of UNITA, killed in 2002; UNITA abandoned armed struggle and participated in electoral politics. Resistance of FLEC continued to this day | Unknown | Unknown | Kim Il Sung |
| Ugandan Bush War (1980–1986) | Ugandan government UNLF/UPC FEDEMU (from 1985) FUNA (from 1985) UNRF (I) (from 1985) UFM (from 1985)  Tanzania (until 1985) North Korea (1981–1985) Zaire (1986, alleged) | National Resistance Movement (NRM) PRA UFF West Nile rebels: Uganda Army (1980) UNRF (I) (1980–85) FUNA (1980–85) Nile Regiment UFM (1980–83) FEDEMU (1983–85) ULM UNLF-AD Rwenzururu movement (until 1982) Karamojong groups | Defeat Yoweri Museveni becomes President of Uganda Civil war de facto continues | 700 | Unknown | Kim Il Sung |
| Battle of Amami-Ōshima (2001) | North Korea | Japan | Defeat North Korean naval trawler sunk | 15 1 naval trawler sunk | None | Kim Il Sung |
| Yemeni Civil War (2015–present) | Supreme Political Council Houthis Pro-Saleh forces (until 2017) Some Popular Committees Sana'a-GPC forces Alleged support:  Iran Hezbollah North Korea | Hadi government Pro-Hadi Security forces Yemen National Army (YNA) Al-Islah Popular Resistance Committees Popular Committees Southern Movement Strategic Reserve (pro-Hadi Saleh forces) Saudi-led coalition  Saudi Arabia  United Arab Emirates  Senegal  Sudan  Morocco  Qatar (2015–17) Academi security contractors Under 1,000 troops:  Bahrain Egypt Kuwait Jordan Green Berets French Army Special Forces Command Al-Qaeda Academi Support:  United Kingdom France United States Spain NATO Southern Transitional Council (from 2017) Tareq Saleh forces (from 2017) National Resistance Tihamah Resistance Support:  United Arab Emirates Ansar al-Sharia AQAP ISIL-YP | Ongoing Houthis dissolve Yemeni government Houthis take control of northern Yemen Conflict in Najran, Jizan and Asir | Unknown | Unknown | Kim Il Sung | Kim Jong Un |
| Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022–present 2024 For North Korean Involvement) | Russia  Donetsk PR  Luhansk PR  North Korea (October 2024-January 2025 per Ukraine) Supported by: Belarus | Ukraine | Ongoing Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts | 1,200-3,000 (Per Ukraine) | None | Kim Il Sung | Kim Jong Un |