Korean People's Navy

The Korean People's Army Navy (KPANF; Korean: 조선인민군 해군; Hanja: 朝鮮人民軍 海軍; MR: Chosŏn-inmingun Haegun; lit. Korean People's Military Navy) or the Korean People's Navy (KPN) is the naval component of the Korean People's Army, the North Korean armed forces.
There are some 780 vessels including 70 midget submarines (including the Yono-class submarine and Sang-O-class submarine), 20 Romeo-class submarines, and about 140 air cushioned landing craft.
The North Korean navy is considered a brown-water (or riverine) navy and operates mainly within the 50 kilometer exclusion zone. The fleet consists of east and west coast squadrons, which cannot support each other in the event of war with an adversary such as South Korea. The limited range of its vessels means that, even in peacetime, it is virtually impossible for a ship on one coast to visit the other coast.
The KPN was established on 5 June 1946.
On 13 October 2013, submarine chaser number 233 departed on a regular patrol, but failed to return on time. The boat was later discovered to be sunk, and the entire crew had died, who were named as martyrs. A seaside grave was constructed for these sailors, which Kim Jong Un visited, in a move described by the New York Times as bolstering his image of caring for the soldiers. Families of the victims were given portraits of their children and a collage of the grave.
On 11 March 2016, CNN and the U.S. Naval Institute News reported that unnamed US officials believed a North Korean submarine had been lost in the Sea of Japan. According to reports, the U.S. military had been observing the submarine when it "stopped" before the North Korean navy was observed by American spy satellites, aircraft and ships to be searching the area.
According to the Defense Intelligence Agency, the 146,000-man Korean Peoples' Army Navy (KPAN) is primarily a coastal navy. The KPAN is organized into two fleets: the East Coast Fleet, with eight operational commands, and the West Coast Fleet, with five operational commands. The East Coast Fleet is headquartered at Toejo Dong, with major bases at Najin and Wonsan.
The West Coast Fleet is headquartered at Nampo, with major bases at Pipagot and Sagon Ni. Numerous smaller naval bases are located along both coasts. The fleets do not exchange vessels because geographical limitations make mutual support almost impossible. The KPAN does not have a Marine Corps or naval aviation capabilities. Amphibious operations are conducted by SOF units in addition to naval personnel.
According to South Korea's National Intelligence Service (in 1999):
The Times puts the total in 2009 at "420 warships and 60 submarines."
The annual report of North Korea's military capabilities by the U.S. Department of Defense, released in early 2014, identified the North Korean Navy's strength at 60,000 personnel, 70 submarines, 420 gun boats, 260 amphibious landing craft, 30 mine warfare vessels, and 30 support ships.
Most KPAN vessels are small patrol-size craft unable to operate over 50 nautical miles (NM) from the coast but capable of policing the DPRK's territorial waters. The navy's numerous amphibious craft and midget submarines are intended to clandestinely insert SOF units into the ROK. The DPRK also maintains coastal defense artillery and missile sites. Coastal defense artillery includes 122 mm, 130 mm, and 152 mm systems. Land-based coastal defense missiles include the KS-1 Komet, Silkworm (HY-1 and HY-2) .
The KPAN's most capable weapons systems are their approximately 43 guided-missile patrol boats equipped with the P-15 Termit antiship missile (or its Chinese version, the Silkworm (SY-1)). Though their small size limits operations to coastal waters and calm seas, they have a capability to quickly respond to Combined Forces Command (CFC) shipping approaching the coast. The KPAN has 12 Osa-class missile boat, 10 DPRK versions of the Osa-1 called the Soju, and 19 other fast-attack missile craft; the Osa and Osa-1 are all equipped with four Silkworm (SY-1) missile launchers. The missiles have a maximum range of 25 Nm and carry radar or infrared homing seekers.
The largest part of the KPAN consists of small combatants, including torpedo boats, patrol boats, patrol craft, fast attack craft, and small amphibious landing craft. Of the approximately 200 torpedo boats, nearly half are DPRK-built. Most are equipped with 25 mm to 37 mm guns. The DPRK built at least 62 Chaho fire-support patrol units. This unique vessel has a multiple rocket launcher in the center of its deck to provide fire support to ground troops or attack surface ships.
The DPRK's attack submarine inventory is estimated to include 4 former Soviet Whiskey-class submarine, 22 Chinese Romeo-class submarines, and DPRK-built Romeo-class submarines. The Whiskeys, acquired in the 1960s, can carry 12 torpedoes or 24 mines. Shortly after delivering four Romeos in the early 1970s, China helped the DPRK start its own Romeo construction program. The Romeos are well equipped, have an improved sonar, and can carry 14 torpedoes or 28 mines.
To date, the DPRK has indigenously produced over 200 personnel landing craft. This includes approximately 100 Nampo personnel landing craft based on a former Soviet P-6 torpedo boat hull. The Nampo has a maximum speed of 40 knots (74 km/h) and a radius of 335 nmi (620 km) at 28 knots (52 km/h). The Nampos provide a limited amphibious capability, each carrying up to 30 troops with a basic combat load. Amphibious assaults against CFC probably would be small, clandestine landings involving two to six Nampo craft; Chaho or other naval craft could provide fire support. Other amphibious craft include 8 Hantae medium landing ships, which can carry 3 to 4 light tanks, and approximately 125 Kongbang amphibious hovercraft.
The DPRK has a credible mine warfare capability. There are numerous small surface ships that are capable of delivering mines within both the navy and civilian sectors. Mines will be used to defend against amphibious assaults, defend strategic ports, and provide seaward flank protection for land forces. Defensive mine fields will be monitored by coastal observation teams and radar, and they will be supported by well emplaced artillery and missile batteries. This will make close approach and mine clearing operations extremely hazardous. DPRK has a large inventory of older technology mines, significant historical experience with their effectiveness, and, most importantly, the willingness to use them.
The latest bi-annual report of North Korea's military capabilities by the ROK's Ministry of National Defense, released in 2018, KPN inventory is estimated at 430 combat ships, 250 landing crafts, 20 mine layers, 40 support ships, 70 submarines.
For years, the Korean People's Army Naval Force stagnated with a number of ships becoming old and weapons turning obsolete, this peaked with an accident during drills, when the Chosun Ilbo reported that in mid-October 2013, one of the DPRK's Hainan-class submarine chasers and one of its smaller patrol boats sank during maneuvers in the Sea of Japan with an unknown loss of life.
After 2013 surfaced on western analysis, a number of upgrades and new classes in service with the Navy appeared: most of this modernization's program is left to speculation and analysis of satellite images, due to the absence of details released by North Korea.
South Korea reported that North Korea has built a new high-speed, wave piercing craft to deploy troops as part of efforts to enhance infiltration capabilities by sea. Called a Very Slender Vessel (VSV), it is cylindrical with a small cross section to pierce through waves at high speed. It is 10–15 m (33–49 ft) long and can carry a small number of special forces at over 100 km/h (62 mph; 54 kn), compared to air-cushion vehicles than can travel at 96 km/h (60 mph; 52 kn). VSVs are considered one of the most threatening craft in the Korean People's Army Naval Force for their commando infiltration capabilities onto border islands.
North Korea has built two helicopter frigates to enhance its anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Construction began in 2006-07 and launched in 2011–12, but it is unknown if they have been commissioned and are in service. The frigates are estimated to be 76 m (249 ft) long and 11 m (36 ft) wide, with a 29 m × 11 m (95 ft × 36 ft) flight deck and a displacement of 1,300 tonnes (1,300 long tons; 1,400 short tons). Armament is believed to include 4 RBU 1200 ASW rocket launchers, a 30 mm CIWS, and possibly the C-802 missile. Its main weapon is either a Mil Mi-4 or Mil Mi-14 helicopter.
In June 2014, propaganda pictures from the North Korean state TV briefly showed one of the newly built patrol SES vessels, firing a Kh-35 anti-ship cruise missile. Despite some initial doubts over the nature of the missile, they appear to be built in North Korea and have been exported to Myanmar (earlier speculations believed they were imported from Myanmar). The missile gives the KPN the potential to considerably improve its anti-surface missiles. In addition to the missiles, the SES vessels show a reversed-engined gun of 76 mm (3 in). Kh-35 missiles were also installed during 2014 on one of the two old Najin-class frigates (replacing the previous obsolete KN-01 missiles): the ship also received upgrades in gunnery.
In autumn 2014, satellite images identified a newly built submarine of a new class: with a length of 67metres, it's the largest-ever submarine built so far by North Korea, it's believed to be related to older Yugoslavian projects, but if mass-built could potentially replace the aging fleet of Romeo submarines.
In spring 2015, the Sinpo-class submarine designated 8.24 Yongung was observed at sea during trials, paired with a test of the Pukguksong-1 (KN-11) missile. On 2 October in 2019 it conducted test launched Pukguksong-3. On 19 October in 2021 it conducted launched of Hwasong-11S. On 13 March in 2023 it launched two SLCM's.
Korean People's Navy launched Hwasal-2 land attack cruise missile from Amnok-class guided missile corvette on August 21 of 2023.
Launching ceremony was conducted at Sinpo south shipyard for induction of Hero Kim Kun Ok SSB on September 6 of 2023.
North Korea is constructing guided missile frigates with dozens of VLS cells at both west and east coast, Chongjin and Nampo Shipyard with estimated displacement of 4000 tons according to South Korean military in December of 2024 and cavity with enough space to contain over 50 missiles or less depending on type according to researcher Jeffrey Lewis. Frigate at Nampo was unveiled in December of 2024 and in Chongjin in February of 2025. Estimated weight between 4000 to 5000 tons.
Construction of nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine was announced and shown on March 8 in 2025. Estimated weight between 5000 to 8000 tons and carrying about 10 missiles.
The KPN has 20 bases split between the two coasts (Sea of Japan and Yellow Sea) with major and minor bases:
The western fleet has approximately 300 watercraft (administrative, operational and logistic support), berthing facility for Yellow Sea Fleet; home to shipyard and sub base
The eastern fleet has approximately 470 ships and small craft.
Some ships are domestically built at Wonsan and Nampho shipyards. Southern bases on each coasts are used to organize infiltrations into South Korea and Japan.
The rank insignia of commissioned officers.
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
The naval officers wear black jackets and pants with blue shirt and dark tie underneath. Their peaked caps are from the Soviet era. In summer jackets are white in the full dress uniform. Junior ratings and seamen wear white shirts (in the summer) or navy blue shirts (in the winter) with black/white jackets and slacks (skirts for women) and wear sailor caps. All ranks wear shoulder and collar insignia while all officers, flag officers included, wear sleeve insignia as well in their service blue uniforms.
At first, an ordinance issued by the Supreme People's Assembly on June 3, 1972, designated August 28 as the Navy Day, claiming that the first leader Kim Il Sung organized the Torpedo Unit on that date of 1949. In 1993 the North Korean authorities changed it to June 5, as its "Maritime Security Corps" were organized on June 5, 1946.