On October 10, during the 80th anniversary parade of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, Major General Jeon Young-chan emerged as a pivotal figure. Newly identified as the commander of the Special Operations Forces, Jeon was revealed to be the Chief of Staff of the 11th Corps, also known as the Storm Corps. Intelligence indicates that as of Wednesday, Jeon is likely overseeing all operational aspects of North Korea’s forces deployed to Russia, with the 11th Corps serving as the backbone of these units.
At the evening parade held in Pyongyang’s Kim Il-sung Square on October 10, Jeon made a striking appearance. He introduced himself as the commander of the Kursk Liberation Operation in Russia, leading the march at the forefront of the special forces contingent.
Reports confirm that Jeon received a national commendation directly from Kim Jong Un, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party, in August. On August 21, Korean Central Television broadcast footage of key commanders from the overseas operational units returning for the commendation ceremony.
Although North Korean media did not disclose the names or positions of the commanders at the ceremony, intelligence analysis revealed that Jeon’s name tag identified him as Chief of Staff of the 11th Corps.
In the North Korean military hierarchy, a corps’ chief of staff—typically holding the rank of Major General or Lieutenant General—is considered second only to the corps commander. Analysts believe that Jeon is responsible for managing all aspects of the North Korean forces in Russia, including operational planning, training oversight, and unit administration.
The 11th Corps, dubbed the Storm Corps, traces its origins to the Special 8th Corps established in 1969. This unit evolved from Unit 124, infamous for the 1968 Blue House raid attempt. In 1983, North Korea restructured it into the Alert Training Guidance Bureau, consolidating various special forces units. Over time, it expanded and was eventually elevated to corps status.
Following a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty signed with Russia in June last year, North Korea deployed about 12,000 combat troops to the Kursk region in October. This was followed by an additional 3,000 troops in January and February of this year. Both nations officially acknowledged the deployment in late April, describing it as a significant achievement of their respective leaderships.