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Workers and Peasants Red Guard Paramilitaries

Updated November 2023

The North Korean Red Guard Suit

Exploring the interesting ‘Red Guard Suit’ Jok Ui Tae Pok 적위대복 of North Korean Culture.

Propaganda artists by Hwang In Jae

The Red Guard Suit: a linocut by North Korean artist Hwang In Jae.

For more of Hwang In Jae’s work and purchases, head here.

Women at Work Collection

What is the Red Guard Suit?

As a big part of North Korean culture, numerous artworks in North Korea portray what at first glance appear to be soldiers in uniform. These soldiers are often involved in construction projects.

On closer inspection, you may notice the uniform does not have military-style epaulettes…

So, if they’re not military, then why?

This is the “Red Guard Suit”; a uniform of sorts. And it’s there to denote Workers and Peasants Red Guard Paramilitaries, Red Young Guard, university students during their military training, and the Shock Brigade workers. (These are youth who after completion of school or university volunteer to work on infrastructure projects).

The main inference of the suit is that they are not in the military.

North Korean Wedding
University students in red guard suits 4

Red Guard Suit History

After the 1950-53 Korean War (Fatherland Liberation War in Korea), North Korea instructed discharged military personnel to keep their military uniform. However, without the epaulettes…

This is so that they would be prepared for a war emergency.

Shortly after the war, factories and towns were guarded by civilian self-defence forces dressed in “red guard suits”.

Based on North Korean leader Kim Il Sung’s military view that the people are the masters of revolutionary military projects and that the people should mobilize the infinite power of the people and all the potential of the country, North Korea institutionalized the quasi-military organization with reserve forces.

“Workers and Peasants Red Guard Paramilitaries” was established in January 1959 following the withdrawal of the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army in 1958.

In September 1970, they established “Red Young Guard”. This has been retained to the present day.

North Korean Art Experts

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Formerly known as Pyongyang Art Studio, Koryo Studio is the first Western art gallery to commission and sell work by artists of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), or North Korea. Since 1993

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