South Korea says North is boosting special forces

[unhappycamper]

South Korea says North is boosting special forces
By Donald Kirk | The Christian Science Monitor
Posted on Thursday, December 30, 201

SEOUL — North Korea is building up the elite special forces used for quick strikes against South Korea and supporting the North's nuclear and missile programs, Seoul's defense ministry says.

In a white paper that comes out every two years, the defense ministry said North Korean special forces have grown since 2008 from 180,000 to 200,000 troops - a privileged corps within the North's military establishment of nearly 1.2 million troops.

The buildup of special forces represents a shift from the North's previous emphasis "on all-out war in terms of military doctrine," says Kim Sung-han, professor of international relations at Korea University. "Now they are shifting to military provocations. To make surprise attacks successful, you have to improve your special forces."

Most of the North's special forces are near the demilitarized zone that has divided the Korean peninsula since the Korean War, forming a front line that represents a constant threat against the South. Although a major conflict appears unlikely, analysts credit them with the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea on Nov. 23, killing two South Korean marines and forcing much soul-searching among South Korean leaders about the South's defenses.

Despite the sense of crisis engendered by the Yeonpyeong attack, the paper,, which was released Wednesday, avoids describing North Korea as the South's " main enemy," a term that was dropped a decade ago while the South was pursuing reconciliation. The paper does, however, describe the North Korean regime and military establishment as "the enemy."

[Turbineguy]

1. "Special" means

you get a real gun with bullets, instead of a prop for marching.