Inside the little-known ROK army unit that trains to fight like North Koreans



Features Inside the little-known ROK army unit that trains to fight like North Koreans Scorpion Unit uses DPRK uniforms, terms and tactics to help troops prepare for combat with an enemy they've never faced Jooheon Kim April 28, 2026 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Scorpion Unit soldiers \| Image: Courtesy of Kish Kim One of the first things South Korean conscripts learn during their mandatory military service is that the main enemy is North Korea. Many are deployed to the heavily fortified demilitarized zone to serve on the front lines of the decades-long standoff with DPRK forces. But a select few of them are assigned a very different mission — to be the enemy. During his military service, former Sgt. Shin Ye-chan spent his days dressing up in uniforms like those of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) and imitating DPRK tactics as a member of the Scorpion Unit, a specialized team tasked with © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

Features

Inside the little-known ROK army unit that trains to fight like North Koreans

Scorpion Unit uses DPRK uniforms, terms and tactics to help troops prepare for combat with an enemy they've never faced

Jooheon Kim April 28, 2026

Inside the little-known ROK army unit that trains to fight like North Koreans

Scorpion Unit soldiers | Image: Courtesy of Kish Kim

One of the first things South Korean conscripts learn during their mandatory military service is that the main enemy is North Korea. Many are deployed to the heavily fortified demilitarized zone to serve on the front lines of the decades-long standoff with DPRK forces.

But a select few of them are assigned a very different mission — to be the enemy.

During his military service, former Sgt. Shin Ye-chan spent his days dressing up in uniforms like those of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) and imitating DPRK tactics as a member of the Scorpion Unit, a specialized team tasked with

Inside the little-known ROK army unit that trains to fight like North Koreans

Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most –

as selected by

One more step!

Error!

Trending

Recent Stories

About the Author

Jooheon Kim

Start your day with
the North Korea stories that matter most –