XI Corps (North Korea)
| XI Corps | |
|---|---|
| Active | January 1969–present |
| Country | North Korea |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | infantry |
| Size | Classified |
| Part of | Korean People's Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Tokchon |
| Nickname(s) | Old Special 8th Legion, Old Alert Map Bureau, 4th Army Corps, Unit 630 Unit |
The XI (11th) Corps (camouflage names of the 465th Army or the 630th United Nations Corps), are a corps of the Korean People's Army and are the headquarters of all special forces. It is known that its headquarters are based in Tokchon.
The 17th Reconnaissance Brigade merged with the 124th Army and 283th Army[1] of the National Security Agency's Reconnaissance Division, which were founded in early October and 16th of 1967, respectively, to form the "Special Eighth Army" in January 1969. In July 1983, it was changed to the Ministry of General Affairs' Office of the Ministry of Servitude and Guidance (English: Light Infantry Guide Bureau), and in 1991 it was reorganized into the 11th Corps.
On December 14, 2011, Senior Research Fellow Jeong Seong-jung of the Sejong Institute announced that Choi Kyung-sung had discovered that the commander of the army was a legionary.[2]
In 2020, members of the Corps were sent to the Sino-DPRK border area of Ryanggang Province to combat smuggling and other "anti-state" activities.[3]
Known units
[edit]- 16th Sniper Brigade
- 38th Aviation Army Brigade in Sangwon County, Pyongyang
- 43rd Mountain Army Infantry Sniper Brigade-5 battalions, Kapsan County, Hyesan, Ryanggang-do
- Unit 124, a special operations unit that was involved in the 1968 Blue House raid[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "국방 사건사" (PDF). Imhc.mil.kr. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
- ^ "[단독] 김정은 오른팔?… 北 폭풍군단장(최정예 특수부대 11군단) 베일 벗다". News.chosun.com. 31 July 2020.
- ^ a b "North Korea Sends Special Forces to Ryanggang Province Border With China". Radio Free Asia. 3 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.