hankyoreh

Kwon Hyuk-chul, Staff Writers 　
　
In its “2010 National Defense White Paper” published Thursday, the Ministry of
National Defense estimated the number of North Korean Special Forces at 200 thousand. Previously, these forces were estimated at around 120 thousand in the 2006 White Paper and around 180 thousand in the 2008 white paper. If the Ministry of National Defense’s estimates are correct, the number of special forces has been increasing recently on the order of 20 thousand to 60 thousand every two years.
Estimates for the scale of forces in the North Korean military were similar to the figures given in the 2008 White Paper, with 1.02 million in the Army, 110 thousand in the Air Force, and 60 thousand in the Navy for a total of 1.19 million. This would mean that roughly one out of every six people in the North Korean military is a Special Forces member.
The South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that North Korea has been continuously strengthening its Special Forces capabilities, forming a light infantry division in its front corps and an addition light infantry regiment in its front division.
The Defense Ministry predicted that in the event of an emergency, these Special Forces would use tunnels and AN-2 biplanes to infiltrate South Korean rear regions to strike major targets, assassinate agents, and harass the rear guard.
Radio Free Asia reported on Thursday that the North has been training its special forces for a surprise attack on South Korea’s western border islands, going so far as to simulate a takeover of them, citing a source in China well-informed about North Korea.
“From mid-December, divisions within North Korea’s navy, like the sharpshooting brigade and reconnaissance bureau, have been involved in landing drills in the waters off the coast of Nampo,” RFA said. 　
The 2010 White Paper estimated the number of North Korean tanks at 4,100, an increase of 200 from the 3,900 estimated in the 2009 White Paper.
“The increase of 200 tanks includes new units modeled on the T-72 and deployed for actual combat (the Pokpung) as well as additional older models discovered in North Korean rear units since 2008,” said a South Korean Defense Ministry official. “The tanks in the rear units were mostly older models such as the T-34. The Soviet Army used the T-34 during the Second World War, and it was the main tank used by the North Korean military during the Korean War.”
The North Korean Air Force was estimated to have around 820 combat planes, 30 surveillance and control aircraft, 330 air mobility systems, and 170 trainer planes.
　
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