One month after its unexpected nuclear test on January 6, North Korea on Sunday launched the satellite named Kwangmyongsong-4. The combination of nuclear and ballistic missile technology potentially gives North Korea a powerful strategic military capability. Another key part of this strategic capability is a specialized unit, the KPA Strategic Force.

The Strategic Force of the Korean People’s Army is the North Korean military unit responsible for the country’s strategic-level missiles and rockets and is a key component of Pyongyang’s nuclear strategy. Effectively, it is the organization for the North’s missile and nuclear arsenal, as well as potentially its chemical and biological weapons.