North Korea

North Korea, the commonly used short name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is a nation located in the northern half of the Korean Peninsula, bordering South Korea to the south, China to the north and Russia to the extreme north east. North and South Korea have been split since the end of World War II and tensions between them have been tense. The current leader is Kim Jong-un, heir to his father Kim Jong-il, who died in December of 2011. North Korea is largely regarded as a Stalinist dictatorship, with elements of a "Cult of Personality." In October of 2006, North Korea tested its first nuclear weapon, reportedly with mixed success.

Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction[]

North Korea Flag — North Korean flag as seen from the 'Factions' tab of the PDA

In the game, the history of North Korea is somewhat different. It has a president, something that hasn't happened since 1994, when Kim-Il Sung died. In the years preceding Mercenaries (2009), North Korea consolidates its military power and strengthens its ties with terrorists. In 2009, North Korea attempts to reach out to the world in peace, but Choi Song, the President's son, seizes power in North Korea and turns it into an isolated state.

For more info on this pivotal event refer to the Song Initiative page.

The Korean People's Army (KPA)[]

North Korea (specifically, the military) is one of five factions in Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction as well as the setting for the majority of the game (some sections of the Northern Province are in China). Equally infamous and mysterious, North Korea was closed to the rest of the world since its foundation with the backing of the Soviet Union just after the end of World War II. While foreign armies have succeeded in seizing control of most of North Korea's air, sea and land territory, the Korean People's Army, the military of North Korea, remains at large in significant numbers. Prior to the invasion, the KPA boasted the largest standing army in the world. They are completely hostile to the mercenary and all other factions, and are deadset on driving the foreigners out of North Korea.

The KPA's vehicles, equipment and weaponry all have two things in common: virtually all of the designs originate in the Soviet Union, and all of the hardware in the KPA's use is old and in many cases severely out of date, making the Korean People's Army dead last in the game for level of technological advancement. Though it has taken a beating from the invaders, the KPA remains a deadly threat given its sheer numbers of personnel, vast array of firepower, and the presence of many skilled and fanatical leaders (the Deck of 52, apart from the Clubs, who are civilian "businessmen") who continue to work relentlessly to make the KPA's strengths compensate for its weaknesses.

The KPA is led by the ruthless Choi Song, who at first is believed to have killed his father, Choi Kim to seize power over the nation. The Army, fearful of losing its power, backed Choi Song in his successful effort to destroy the imminent peaceful reunification of Korea under the government in Seoul. It now follows Choi Song wherever he chooses to lead it, whatever the cost may be to the KPA- or anyone else.

KPA Soldier Classes[]

The KPA have a basic variety of troops in Playground of Destruction.

Regulars - The basic KPA soldier wears a brown uniform and round, ushanka-style hat and numerous NK insignias on their shoulders, collars and chest. They are almost always seen using the Assault Rifle but sometimes can be seen using Sniper Rifles and Anti-Material Rifles.
Heavies - The Heavy KPA soldier is similar in appearance to the regular soldier but mainly use the RPG, the anti-air missile launcher and rarely the Light MG. The primary aesthetic difference compared to the regulars is a different hat, boots with their pants tucked in, and a large, black backpack used to store their ammo.
Special Forces - Next is the NK Elite, very few are seen in the southern province and are only encountered during Ace contracts; however, in the Northern Province they are much more common. They wear a different, special forces-style outfit which consists of a brown, light-weight winter type uniform, a protective vest around the torso, black beanies and dark, striped face-paint. They mostly use the RPD, but can also be seen using RPGs, anti-air rockets and sniper rifles. They are very strong and much harder to take down, taking twice the amount of shots compared to regulars.
Officers - NK Officers are the highest ranked non-Deck of 52 members of the KPA. They wear a uniform similar to the regular troops but much more detailed with more medals and badges located on the chest and a peaked cap. They almost always use the Type-85 and take more damage to kill than regular soldiers, but less than an elite soldier.
Undercover Soldiers - The last, and definitely rarest, are the Undercover KPA soldiers. These soldiers are only seen in a few contracts and use the same range of weapons as the Elites but are dressed in full civilian clothing. Their armor can vary; some are killed easily, some are much tougher.

The Deck of 52[]

The Deck of 52 is a list of the most wanted men and women within the North Korean chain of command. Each suit of cards in the deck represents a group devoted towards a certain activity assigned to them by Song to advance his goals of conquest. These suits are:

The Clubs - State-sponsored criminals and businessmen responsible for funding the North Korean military. (Division 39)
The Diamonds - Military leaders who administer the North Korean war machine.
The Hearts - Scientists responsible for developing weapons of mass destruction.
The Spades - Comprised of General Song's personal bodyguard force and Song himself.

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames[]

Although the North Korean faction make no appearance in the sequel, they are mentioned briefly by Solano, and it is implied they supplied him with the nuclear weapon he used against the AN and Chinese.

Vehicles[]

Aircraft[]

Mi-2 Light Attack - Rare light transport and close air support helicopter
Mi-17 Transport - Medium transport helicopter
Mi-35 Gunship - Heavy gunship
MD-500 Scout - Light attack and scout
Su-39 Frogfoot - Attacks the mercenary if they enter North Korean restricted areas

Ground Vehicles[]

Sungri Scout - Primary ground vehicle
FROG-7 - Mobile missile launcher vehicle
SA-8 Anti-Air - Surface-to-Air missile vehicle
ZSU-57 Anti-Air - Anti-Air Artillery vehicle
BMP APC - Armored Personnel Carrier
BTR APC - Light transport vehicle
T-54 - Primary tank
T-62 - Primary heavy tank
BRDM Scout - Armored scout vehicle
Troop Transport - Primary ground transport vehicle
Cargo Truck - Primary ground cargo/supplies truck
Control Vehicle - Surveillance/Radar Jamming vehicle
M1955 Artillery - Small artillery
M1978 Artillery - Medium artillery
M1985 Rocket Launcher - Vehicle removed from the final version of the game
Type-07 Prototype Supergun - Giant artillery prototype
Type-07 Supergun - Giant artillery

Trivia[]

North Korea's fate after Song's capture/death is never revealed. However, it is revealed in Mercenaries 2: World in Flames that Solano has formed an alliance with it, which may suggest one of his relatives or generals took over leadership.
- In addition, after the final contract, the ending cutscene will also differ depending on how much the player has helped the other factions. Whichever faction has received the most help will be victorious in the Korean theater. Depending on which faction likes you the most, the country is either absorbed back into South Korea, becomes the newest province of The People's Republic, or devolves into a mafia-state. However, the sequel confirms that China did indeed annex the North in 2009.
With the exception of the smuggling ship seen in '...It's Who You Know', no vessels of the North Korean navy appear in game. It's likely it was completely destroyed during the Allied Nations invasion.