Mitzer, Stijn/Oliemans, Joost Armed Forces of North Korea. Band 4: Special Operations Force and Missile General Bureau

Volume 67 of the "Asia @ War" series. The modern era has lifted the obsessive veil of secrecy surrounding military innovationin every country but one: North Korea. Since both its past and its present remain shrouded in mystery, scant reliable information exists regarding what is arguably one of the most exotic armed forces in the world today. Having effectively driven its entire economy into the ground in service of the twin guiding principles of "Juche" (self-reliance) and "Songun" (military-first), the DPRK today possesses a uniquely diverse inventory of indigenous weapon systems and adheres to a military doctrine unlike any other. This highly unconventional situation is simultaneously one of the most precarious in the world, as the specter of conflict constantly looms on the horizon. For many, North Korea has become synonymous with the threat of nuclear warevoked by ascending ballistic missiles and ground that has trembled beneath a succession of escalating strategic weapons tests. The international focus on this issue has created an informational imbalance, wherein North Koreas numerically vastand equally significantconventional forces are largely overlooked. Yet, the Korean Peoples Army (KPA) poses a threat not merely due to its sheer size; thanks to a sustained drive toward modernization, it remains a force to be reckoned withan endeavor that, while hampered by the pressures of a dysfunctional economy, appears nonetheless serious in both its scope and its tangible reality. Any assessment of its capabilities that fails to take such developments into account is, by necessity, inaccurate. Given that specialized literature is sparseand available sources often disseminate misinformation rather than accurate factsthere has until now been no reliable framework for placing new insights regarding North Korean special forces and the "General Missile Bureau" into their proper context. This book sets out to create precisely such a framework: it details the history of these forces and covers virtually everything worth knowing about the DPRK's current military endeavors. This comprehensive information is complemented by well over 170 unique photographic records, the vast majority of which have never before been made available to the public. Furthermore, numerous artistic renditions offer a closer look at those weapon systems that have hitherto eluded the camera's lens, or that deserve to be highlighted with impeccable fidelity to detail. This volume constitutes the fourth and final installment in a concise series dedicated to North Korea's elusive military; it offers both the interested layperson and the specialist audience a complete overviewcovering even the most secretive aspects of an army unlike any other. The contents, originally published as part of the work *The Armed Forces of North Korea: On the Path of Songun*, have been revised and updated for the *Asia @ War* series.