Navy comparison: 
South Korea vs 
North Korea
North Korea's 391 warships outnumber South Korea's 112 (3.5:1 advantage). Counting auxiliaries, reserve and non-commissioned hulls, the fleets number 151 and 420.
SEAS (Sea Equipment Aggregate Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
South KoreaWorld #7
40.8
SEAS Index / 100
South Korea leads on 5 of 8 categories
North KoreaWorld #26
17.9
South Korea
North Korea
Bars: weighted contribution to the SEAS Index (hulls × category weight × size, era and propulsion factors, minor vessels capped at 30 % of the combatant points; the air-wing, sustainment, armament and availability multipliers apply on top) · figures: active hulls at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
| South Korea | North Korea | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official name | Republic of Korea Navy | Korean People's Army Naval Force | |
| Total ships | 151 | 420 | 🇰🇵 2.8× |
| Active ships | 150 | 393 | 🇰🇵 2.6× |
| On order / planned | 13 | 3 | 🇰🇷 4.3× |
| Submarines | 20 | 21 | 🇰🇵 1.1× |
| Principal surface combatants | 31 | 4 | 🇰🇷 7.8× |
| Amphibious ships | 9 | 0 | 🇰🇷 |
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
| Corvettes | 2 | 9 | 🇰🇵 4.5× |
| Patrol boats | 18 | 181 | 🇰🇵 10× |
| Mine warfare | 14 | 0 | 🇰🇷 |
| Coastal boats | 18 | 176 | 🇰🇵 9.8× |
| Auxiliaries | 38 | 2 | 🇰🇷 19× |
Backbone classes one per tier held
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Analyst Assessment
Verdict
Edge: South Korea
South Korea's Republic of Korea Navy holds a decisive qualitative edge over North Korea's Korean People's Army Naval Force, fielding 31 modern principal surface combatants — including Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin destroyers and Daegu-class frigates — against three ageing North Korean equivalents. North Korea's 395 hulls are overwhelmingly small patrol and coastal craft, giving it mass and littoral nuisance value but no capacity for sustained operations beyond its own coast.
Domain by domain
Surface combatants
Edge: South Korea
🇰🇷 South Korea31 principal combatants: 13 destroyers (6 Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin), 18 frigates (8 Daegu, 6 Incheon), 5 Pohang corvettes. Aegis-capable, area air defence, helicopter-equipped, blue-water capable.
🇰🇵 North KoreaThree principal combatants: one new Choe Hyon destroyer and two Najin frigates dating to the 1970s, plus 10 corvettes led by Sariwon class. Minimal air defence or sensor depth.
Submarines
Edge: South Korea
🇰🇷 South Korea22 boats: 9 Chang Bogo (Type 209), 9 Son Won-il (Type 214, AIP), plus newer domestic designs. Modern sonar, heavyweight torpedoes, and in the newest units vertical launch capability.
🇰🇵 North Korea22 boats numerically equal, but built around 20 Romeo-class of 1950s Soviet design, supplemented by Sang-O and Yono midgets optimised for infiltration and mining rather than fleet action.
Coastal & mine warfare
Edge: North Korea
🇰🇷 South Korea23 mine warfare vessels (Yangyang, Ganggyeong, Mulgae) and 35 patrol boats including 18 Yoon Youngha missile craft and 16 Chamsuri PKMR — a capable but far smaller littoral force.
🇰🇵 North Korea187 patrol boats and 170 coastal craft — Sin Hung, Chaho, Chongjin, Sinpo, SO-1 — plus midget submarines. Mass, mining and swarm attack in confined home waters is the core strength.
Amphibious & expeditionary
Edge: South Korea
🇰🇷 South Korea21 amphibious vessels including 11 Solgae air-cushion landing craft, supporting a substantial marine force and enabling brigade-scale landing and littoral manoeuvre.
🇰🇵 North KoreaNo dedicated amphibious hulls recorded; seaborne insertion relies on small craft and midget submarines for special-forces infiltration rather than formed landings.
Shipbuilding & sustainment
Edge: South Korea
🇰🇷 South KoreaBacked by one of the world's largest commercial and naval shipbuilding sectors, sustaining serial production of destroyers, frigates and AIP submarines with four support ships for at-sea replenishment.
🇰🇵 North KoreaTwo Choe Hyon destroyers on order signal ambition, but constrained yards, sanctions and no recorded replenishment ships limit output and keep endurance close to shore.
Wildcards
- Two-sea basing problem With bases on file at Busan and Jeju, the ROK Navy must cover the Yellow Sea and the East Sea separately; the peninsula prevents rapid transfer between fleets without a long transit around it.
- Alliance and access South Korea operates within a long-standing alliance framework offering combined training, intelligence and carrier-borne air support it does not itself field. North Korea's naval force operates alone with no comparable external reinforcement.
- Asymmetric littoral leverage Mining, midget submarines such as Sang-O and Yono, and roughly 350 small craft can contest narrow approaches and shipping lanes at low cost, imposing risk disproportionate to their individual capability.
Analysis generated by a language model from the figures on this page and public sources; it is an informed reading, not a military assessment or a prediction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more naval ships, South Korea or North Korea?
North Korea has a larger navy with 391 warships in service compared to South Korea's 112.
Which navy has more submarines, South Korea or North Korea?
North Korea operates more submarines with 21 compared to South Korea's 20.
Which navy has more destroyers, South Korea or North Korea?
South Korea operates 13 destroyers compared to North Korea's 2.
Which navy has more frigates, South Korea or North Korea?
South Korea operates 18 frigates compared to North Korea's 2.
How do the South Korea and North Korea navies compare in size?
North Korea's navy is 3.5 times larger than South Korea's in terms of total ships (391 vs 112).