In the DPRK the militia forces play a big role in defending the nation's sovereignty and dignity, along with the regular armed forces.

The history of the militia in Korea began in the period of the anti-Japanese armed struggle.

In the period, President Kim Il Sung organized such paramilitary organizations as the Red Guards, Anti-Japanese Self-Defence Corps and the Children's Vanguard to defend the guerrilla zones.

After Korea's liberation from the Japanese invaders, he saw to it that the People's Self-Defence Corps and other militia bodies were organized to defend the gains of the revolution and the security of people.

He founded the Worker-Peasant Red Guards on January 14, Juche 48 (1959). As a paramilitary organization, the guards are armed forces guided by the Workers' Party of Korea, whose mission is to safeguard the Party and the leader with arms and defend the revolutionary gains from the enemy's invasion.

General secretary Kim Jong Il in his lifetime paid deep attention to developing the guards.

In many celebrated works, he proved the validity of Kim Il Sung's policy of putting all the people under arms and defended his unique idea and line on building militia forces.

And he led the guards to preserve its character as armed forces for the Party and the leader, paying close attention to weapons, uniforms and even beddings of the guards' members.

The Worker-Peasant Guards fully demonstrated its might in the parade held in celebration of the 63rd birthday of the DPRK and on other several occasions.

Now the militia forces of the DPRK, together with the Korean People's Army, are creditably defending its ideology and social system under the guidance of the dear respected Kim Jong Un, with rifle in one hand and hammer and sickle in the other hand.