North Korean Special Warfare

Kyle Mizokami writes that North Korea is expanding its special forces, but for a reason contrary to the thoughts of most experts: layered partisan defense:

"[It's possible the North Korean special forces are organized for defensive purposes and part of a larger, layered defense strategy to prevent regime change. Such forces could provide cadre for a domestic insurgency. In North Korea, they would have the home-team advantage, with plentiful supplies of arms and ammunition and a sympathetic population. The evidence of training in the construction and use of IEDs implies fighting in familiar terrain, not in unfamiliar terrain like South Korea. The objective would be to fight U.S. and South Korean forces with irregular warfare, and bleed them dry until public opinion in both countries forces a withdraw. (South Korea, with its low birthrate and intrinsic problem of fighting fellow Koreans, would be particularly vulnerable to adverse public opinion.) This new survival strategy makes even more sense considering the North can no longer economically support its over-sized conventional forces."

Kim Jong II certainly isn't the first to contemplate a "total" strategy. Partisan defense, however, has at best a mixed record. Saddam's original fedayeen units, which Mizokami compares Kim's commandos to, were not effective in putting up a partisan defense against US forces in the 2003 invasion phase of the Iraq war. Moreover, such a strategy also by definition results in the destruction of a nation's heartland. That being said, Kim Jong II, like many other dictators, identifies the health of the state with his own interests. Thus Mizokami's interpretation is certainly plausible.

Comments

[Adrian]

"Moreover, such a strategy also by definition results in the destruction of a nation's heartland."

NK has a heartland? One that isn't destroyed already?

[A.E.]

Also a good point.