Crises on the Korean Peninsula often appear to be sparked by overt acts of provocation or aggression by North Korea, including artillery bombardmentstargeting the South to tests of the DPRK’s growing ballistic missile arsenal. The threat of violence on the Korean Peninsula stems not just from the overt, however, but also from the covert. In addition to its high profile conventional and strategic capabilities, North Korea also has at its disposal a large submarine fleet as well as an elite special operations force, and the employment of either or both of these capabilities can result in the outbreak of violence on the peninsula. The 1996 Gangneung submarine infiltration incident serves as a stark reminder of this possibility.
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