Korean People's Army Ground Forces (North Korea)

Last modified: 2021-08-25 by ian macdonald
Keywords: north korea | army flag | navy flag | air force flag | red star | rice panicles |
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Obverse      image by Miles Li, 03 November 2014

Obverse      image by Miles Li, 05 February 2013

• Description
• Previously Reported Variant

See also:

• Korean People's Navy (North Korea)
• Korean People's Army Air Force (North Korea)
• Korean People's Armed Forces (North Korea)
• Worker-Peasant Red Guards (North Korea)
• Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (North Korea)
• North Korea

The flag of the KPA appears to be a variant on the North Korean national flag. The blue of the national flag is black, and the red star is surrounded by a gold circle and with golden leaves beneath it. In the canton of the red part of the flag are the numbers "4.25" in gold, probably for 25 April, the anniversary of the founding of the KPA. There is Hangul writing in gold in both the upper and lower black portions of the flag.
Randy Young, 09 Feb 2005

The obverse shows (instead of the party emblem) a red star on a white disc, surrounded by a golden wreath of rice, and has a half-wreath at the bottom. At the canton (within the red part of the army colour) there is the date "4.25" in yellow; Hangul letters at the top and at the bottom of both sides (in yellow except for those at the top of the naval colour, which are blue). The writings seem to vary among different flags. All the colours have yellow fringes, cords and tassels, and are borne on red flagpoles with brass spearhead finials.
Miles Li, 11 and 15 Feb 2005

This image of a North Korean propaganda poster shows three well known flags: party, national, and army (obverse) — however two of them in seemingly variant depictions:
The party flag seems to be colored in a shade of red slightly darken than the national flag. (Maybe nothing but the artist’s attempt to avoid it disappearing against the background?) The Army flag (obverse) shows yellow writings on the blue stripes (very relevant variant) and golden fringe (probably irrelevant).
António Martins-Tuválkin, 02 August 2010

The mottoes read: "The Unification and Independence of the Motherland" (top) and "For the Freedom and Liberation of the People" (bottom).
Miles Li, 11 December 2011

The unit names are written in Hangul on the reverse side. All the colours have yellow fringes, cords and tassels, and are borne on red flagpoles with brass spearhead finials.
Miles Li, 07 November 2012

Here are my further improved flag images of North Korean military flags. The Hangul writings are improved, and in the case of the Air Force flag, the colour of the stripes are corrected.
Just to avoid ambiguation - The mottoes read: "The Unification and Independence of the Motherland" (top) and "For the Freedom and Liberation of the People" (bottom).
The hangul writings read: "Korean Worker's Party's Revolutionary Armed Forces" (top), "Korean People's Army No. 425 Unit" (bottom).
The "425" refers to April 25, 1932, the day of the Korean People's Army's foundation. On this photo the parade featured numerous Army flags, all bearing the No. 425 Unit designation. Very strange.
Miles Li, 04 & 05 February 2013

Oops... I didn't even get the hangul of Kim Jong-Il's name right! (Prease forgive me, dear leader...)
Since these 'new type' flags attached here bear the name of the late leader, the North Korean military is apparently reverting to the 'old type' flags described sometime ago.
Miles Li, 22 December 2014

My Korean friend reads the Hungul inscrition on the blue stripes of the Army flag.
The upper one reads: "Revolutionary leaders headed by great comrade Kim Jong Il" The lower one reads: "Let's defend them to the death!"
The same Hangul inscription appears on the other military flags. They are exactly same as the inscriptions appeared in the images of previously reported variants.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 26 December 2014

National flag with yellow fringe and Army emblem towards hoist instead of the red star. Hangul inscription in yellow on blue stripes:

Revolutionary leaders headed by great comrade Kim Jong Il
Let's defend them to the death!

The date "4.25" in yellow in the upper hoist; Apr 25th is the memorial day of the foundation of a forerunner of the Korean People's Army, the People's Revolutionary Army (founded on Apr 25th 1932).
Reverse: national flag with yellow fringe and Workers Party of Korea emblem towards hoist instead of the red star. Same Hangul inscription as above 2 and without "4.25"
Source: video footage of 2003 North Korean military parade in Pyonygang
Nozomi Kariyasu, 19 Sep 2009

The Hangul writings mean: "Revolutionary leaders headed by great comrade Kim Jong Il" (top) "Let us defend them to the death!" (bottom).
My apology to Jaume Olle for superseding his flag images - the Hangul writings need to be fixed. And my apology to Nozomi Kariyasu - I have doubt about the existence of the reverse side variant with the abovementioned mottoes, since I have not seen any photo evidence of that.
Miles Li, 06 February 2013