Top Secret daily life of the North Korean Army
Not much is known about North Korea, and even less about the army of this closed country. Photos can help you figure out what's going on there and what everyday life is like, but they can be difficult to get across the border. Recently, Reuters released a selection of rare images of the North Korean army taken from 2006 to 2015, which illustrate the soldier's life.
(23 photos in total)
The Korean War began in 1950, when 75,000 soldiers from the north crossed the border and invaded the south.
After the war, Korea was divided into North and South. The Soviet Union exerted influence on North Korea, and the UN controlled South Korea.
Under the influence of the Soviet Union, Kim Il Sung was appointed head of North Korea, which became known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. His son Kim Jong Il inherited power after his death in 1994.
Kim Jong-un came to power in December 2011, when his father and the country's leader Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack.
Despite the fact that Kim Jong-un is the commander-in-chief of the fourth largest army in the world, he does not have any military training.
In 2014, 70% of infantry and 50% of aviation and navy were deployed at a distance of approximately 100 km from the demilitarized neutral zone between North and South Korea.
The North Korean army is called the Korean People's Army, or KPA.
Now the North Korean army consists of more than 1.2 million active soldiers.
And there are still 7.7 million military personnel in reserve.
Most of them serve in the army after graduation. Men serve for 10 years, and women serve for seven.
Those who attend college serve five years after graduation.
But those who study various sciences serve only three years. Kim Jong-un made this decision in 2015 to stimulate the development of the scientific environment.
The army is the largest employer in the country.
The North Korean Air Force has more than 1,300 aircraft. The newest of them was received in 1999.
According to some reports, the KPA has 260 amphibious aircraft.
North Korea's missile program began to develop in the late 1960s and reached its peak in the 1970s.
It is now believed that North Korea has more than a thousand long-, medium- and short-range missiles.
In 2015, military service became mandatory for all women.
Until 2015, women served on a voluntary basis.
Only military or officials in North Korea can have a car.
Soldiers suffer from malnutrition and hunger due to food shortages and rigorous training.
The country conducted nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013.
Now the North Korean army is one of the most numerous in the world, and details about the conditions under which Koreans serve are classified.
Keywords: Army | Military base | Military equipment | Military personnel | North korea | Secret facilities | Top secret | Soldiers