Worker-Peasant Red Guards

The Worker-Peasant Red Guards (WPRG; Korean: 로농적위군), also translated as Workers and Peasants' Red Militia (WPRM),[2] is a paramilitary force in North Korea. It is the largest civil defense force in North Korea. It was established on 14 January 1959 by Kim Il Sung[3] and is not only under State Affairs Commission (until 2016 National Defense Commission) and Ministry of Defense control, but is also attached to the Workers' Party of Korea under its Military Leadership Department. It is thus responsible to the Supreme Leader in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Worker-Peasant Red Guards

Worker-Peasant Red Guards
로농적위군
Emblem of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards
Founded	January 1959 (1959-01)
Country	North Korea
Allegiance	Kim Jong Un[1]
Type	Paramilitary militia
Role	Civil Defense
Size	5 million personnel
Colors
Korean name
Chosŏn'gŭl	로농적위군
Hancha	勞農赤衛軍
Revised Romanization	Ronongjeogwigun
McCune–Reischauer	Ronongjŏgwigun

Worker-Peasant Red Guards at the Samjiyon grand monument.

The militia is organized on a provincial/City and town/village level, and structured on a brigade, battalion, company, and platoon basis. The militia maintains infantry small arms, with some mortars, field guns and anti-aircraft guns and even modernized older equipment such as multiple rocket launchers like the BM-13 and older Ural D-62 motorcycles, although some units are unarmed indicating status as logistics and medical units.[4] Its strength is estimated at 5 million personnel.[5]