North Korean Army

Korean People's Army 조선인민군 transliteration: Chosŏn inmin'gun
Flag of the Korean People's Army
Emblem of the Korean People's Army.
Founded	25 April 1932 (claimed) 8 February 1947 (current form)
Service branches	Korean People's Army Ground Force  Korean People's Navy  Korean People's Army Air Force  Korean People's Army Strategic Force  North Korean Special Operation Force Worker-Peasant Red Guards
Headquarters	Pyongyang, North Korea
Leadership
Supreme Commander	Marshal Kim Jong-un
People's Armed Forces Minister	General Ri Yong-gil
Chief of the General Staff	vice marshal Ri Myong-su
Manpower
Conscription	17 years of age
Available for military service	6,515,279 males, age 15-29 (2010), 6,418,693 females, age 15-29 (2010)
Fit for military service	4,836,567 males, age 15-29 (2010), 5,230,137 females, age 15-29 (2010)
Reaching military age annually	207,737 males (2010), 204,553 females (2010)
Active personnel	1,190,000 (2012) (ranked 5th)
Reserve personnel	600,000 reserves (2012) 5,889,000 paramilitary (2012) (ranked 1st)
Expenditures
Budget	~$15 billion
Percent of GDP	20.8%
Industry
Domestic suppliers	Chongyul Arms Plant Ryu Kyong-su Tank Factory Sungri Motor Plant
Foreign suppliers	China  Russia
Annual exports	$100 million
Related articles
History	Korean War Korean DMZ Conflict Vietnam War Yom Kippur War Syrian Civil War
Ranks	Comparative military ranks of Korea

The Korean People's Army (KPA; Chosŏn'gŭl: 조선인민군; Chosŏn inmin'gun) constitutes the military force of North Korea and, under the Songun policy, the central institution of North Korean society. Kim Jong-un is the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army and Chairman of both the Central Military Commission and National Defence Commission. The KPA defence consists of five branches: Ground Force, the Navy, the Air Force, the Strategic Rocket Forces, and the Special Operation Force. The Worker-Peasant Red Guards also come under control of the KPA.

The KPA faces its primary adversaries, the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and United States Forces Korea, across the Korean Demilitarized Zone, as it has since the Armistice Agreement of July 1953. As of 2016^[update], with 5,889,000 paramilitary personnel, it is the largest paramilitary organization on Earth. This number represents 25% of the population.