From the Preface,

The DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). Shrouded in mysticism and secrecy, the nation represents an absolute unicum for the military analyst. No other country in the world manages to attract so much scrutiny to its controversial antics, yet divulge so little of material importance about its inner workings. This might be at the heart of why this country specifically has gripped our attention for so many years, and drawn us to write this series about its largely mysterious armed forces.

We are fortunate the authors are interested in North Korea’s armed forces under its many confusing names and guises. This book is the first volume in a series that is bound to be interesting and fill in large voids in the current knowledge of the “Hermit Kingdom”. According to the Helion & Company website, this book appears to be a part of the larger book, The Armed Forces of North Korea – On the Path of Songun. This book is Part 1 of Volume 1 focusing on the Korean People’s Army Ground Forces Organization, Strategy and Infantry. Part 2 of Volume 1 will focus on Tanks, Artillery, Military Engineering and Mobile Air Defence Systems, and Volume 2 will focus on the Korean People’s Army Air and Anti-Air Force. Breaking the 240-page hardcover book (released in 2020 and no longer in print) into smaller volumes makes sense as it is easier to digest, and if a modeler or historian wants to focus on one aspect, this series makes it easier to do so. These separate volumes have been updated with recent information and photos dating to 2025.

The path of Songun refers to North Korea's "military-first" policy, which elevates the military above all other state and societal matters. This first volume illustrates the DPRK’s rise from largely agrarian society into a military power in a relatively short amount of time, much like the Soviet and Chinese experiences.

This 56-page book is part of Helion & Company’s @War Series. The Armed Forces of North Korea Volume 1, Part 1: Korean People's Army Ground Forces Organization, Strategy and Infantry (Helion No. HEL1445) is outlined in the familiar @War format with two black and white photographs, 69 color photographs, six color profiles, and color map. The book is composed of the following sections:

• Abbreviations and Acronyms
• Preface
• Introduction
  1. Korean People’s Army Ground Forces
  2. Organisation
  3. Strategy
  4. Infantry
  5. Armoured Personnel Carriers
  6. Fire Support Vehicles
• Bibliography
• End Notes
• About the Author

The authors really did an incredible job of researching and finding photographs of this reclusive country. The North Korean security state often has conflicting and competing organizations to ensure the survival of its Dear Leader. For example, here are some of the key organizations in this book: Korean People’s Army (KPA), Korean People’s Army Ground Force (KPAGF), Korean People’s Army Air and Anti-Air Forces (KPAAF), Korean People’s Army Navy (KPAN), Special Operations Force (SOF), and the Missile General Bureau (MGB). Within these organizations, there are various levels of components with a deep dive in second echelon and reserve forces (Worker-Peasant Red Guards).

The book opens with the explanation of what a large role the KPA plays in proportion to its small population with lessons learned from what North Korea identifies as the Fatherland Liberation War in 1950. A lot of the photographs and details of the KPA’s equipment and vehicles are derived from the many parades the DPRK hosts in their capital, Pyongyang, on quinquennial or decennial anniversaries (every five or 10 years), and jubilee years (25^th, 40^th, 50^th, 60^th, 70^th anniversaries) of key events: Military Foundation Day, Korean People’s Army, Foundation of the DPRK, etc.

The first third of the book is devoted to the history of the DPRK, its standing in the world and how its evolution of equipping its forces for their unification of Korea. The authors did an admirable job distilling a very confusing and intricately detailed 70-year history to set the stage for the KPA’s current armed forces. The KPA’s organization and strategy is built around fast-moving, hard hitting first echelon forces, reinforced by SOF to find and exploit an advance against the Republic of Korea (ROK) and US Forces Korea (USFK). The Worker-Peasant Red Guards are largely older service members whose mission is defense and is just now getting access to newer DPRK weapons, with some still using WWII-era weapons.

The Hermit Kingdom had to develop a lot of weapons on their own, and their ingenuity is paying off. Some of their technology development was through friendly countries, primarily China and the Soviet Union (followed by Russia), some through subterfuge, and some through their own experiences as their technology grew. Some of the DPRK’s newest weapons are being used in the current Russian invasion of Ukraine and among terrorist organizations.

North Korea’s main strength is their population and terrain. Being in an isolated country has formed a lot of their organization and strategy, formed by many man-made and natural disasters. For example, The Arduous March, a great famine in the 1990s decimated a generation and affected the average height of North Koreans, resulting in lowering the minimum height and weight requirements for its recruits. North Korea also developed their own hand-to-hand combat technique called Kyoksul that reportedly enabled a KPA soldier to fight ten men without guns. The technique was so successful that it was taught to Warsaw Pact troops.

Modelers will find a lot of inspiration in this volume with their color photographs. The KPA is shown from the Worker-Peasant Red Guards with its outdated weapons and uniforms to the Special Ops with its multi-camouflaged uniforms, American-style PAGST and FAST helmets, optics, night vision, and everything in between. KPA armaments have evolved way beyond the 7.62x39 AK-47 (Type 58) to the Type 88 (AK-74 variant in 5.45x39mm) with the unique helical magazines that hold 150 rounds, and includes firearms that look remarkably like FN SCARs, Bullpup AKs, Russian PP-19 Vityaz (based on the MP-5), Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle, NK-11 “multi-weapon”, the indigenous stand alone RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) launcher, short range ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile), MANPADS (Man-Portable Air Defense System), laser weapons to cause blindness, and silencers for their rifles and pistols. Vehicles include the older 323 series tracked personnel carriers, and the newer wheeled vehicles, including M-1992 APCs, M-2010s based on the BTR-80, 727 infantry mobility vehicles (IMV), Komatsu LAV-inspired Mitsubishi Pajero-based IMV, Sonyon MRL (Multiple Rocket Launcher) APC, M1128 MGS (Mobile Gun System) inspired AFV (based on the M-2010 vehicle), ATGM carrier with five Bulsae-5 missiles, and NLOS (Non-Line of Sight) missile carriers (both for ground and naval targets).

This is a well-balanced book that doesn’t portray the KPA as eminently weak or impossibly invincible. The authors did a fantastic job presenting the information as they found it. With this great volume, I look forward to the next three identified volumes to complete this series, and hope that they continue with the DPRKs other services.

Profuse thanks to Casemate and IPMS-USA for providing the review sample.