NK special forces practice paragliding CFC ambush: military

North Korean special warfare units conducted exercises simulating infiltration of the South Korea-US Joint Combined Forces Command, military sources in Seoul revealed Tuesday.

According to multiple sources, North Korean special forces conducted paragliding training on a number of days in mid-September. It was the first time members of North’s special forces are known to have used paragliding equipment to practice targeting the headquarters of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command. 

It was also revealed that they had built a model of Seoul’s Combined Forces Command headquarters on their training grounds to prepare for special warfare situations. They were previously reported to have built a model of South Korea’s presidential office for similar military exercises.

Pundits here say that the North plans to use paragliders to attack key facilities here, as such equipment is harder to detect at night.

Paragliding is a popular extreme sport and the equipment comes with high mobility, with equipment weighing just 3 to 4 kilograms. As the equipment is easy to control, pundits say it would be possible for the special forces to fold and carry it up mountains to secretly fly into the South.

“Paragliders fly low without much noise, similar to miniature drones that are used for secret raids,” a military source who declined to be named said. “The North Korean military is coming up with some extraordinary means using its limited supplies.”

By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)