Little is known about North Korea, and maybe even less is known about the country's military.
And while photos can be instrumental in learning about everyday life in the hermit kingdom, they can be extremely difficult to get past the border and out of the country.
But a recent Reuters package has a set of rare photos of North Korea's military, ranging from 2006 to 2015, which reveal a snapshot of life as a soldier in North Korea.
The Korean War began in 1950 when 75,000 soldiers from the North crossed the border and invaded the South.
After the Korean War, North and South Korea were split. The Soviet Union had control of the North and the UN was controlling the South.
Source: History
The Soviet Union put Kim Il Sung in charge of North Korea, which became known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. His son, Kim Jong Il, took over after his death in 1994.
Source: History
Kim Jong Un then took over as the ruler of the country in December 2011, when his father and the former leader, Kim Jong Il, died of a heart attack.
Source: Bloomberg
Despite the fact that he is in charge of the fourth-largest military in the world, Kim Jong Un has no formal military training.
Seventy percent of ground forces and 50% of air and naval forces are deployed within about 62 miles of the demilitarized no-man's land between North and South Korea as of 2014.
Source: US Department of Defense
North Korea's military is called the "Korean people's army" or the KPA.
Today the North Korean military is composed of more than 1.2 million active soldiers.
Source: CNN
And there are another 7.7 million in reserve.
Source: CNN
Most people serve in the military after completing high school. Men serve for 10 years and women serve for seven years.
Source: The Guardian
Those who go to college serve for five years after completing their degree.
Source: The Guardian
But those who study science only serve for three years. This was decided by Kim Jong Un in 2015 to encourage people to study science.
Source: The Guardian
The military is the country's largest employer.
Source: CNN
The North Korean air force is made up of over 1,300 aircraft. The newest plane was obtained in 1999.
Source: US Department of Defense
It is believed that the North Korean military has 260 amphibious landing craft in its naval force.
Source: US Department of Defense
The North Korean missile program began development in the late 1960s, but really began to flourish in the 1970s.
Source: BBC
Today, North Korea is thought to be in possession of over 1,000 long-, medium-, and short-range missiles.
Source: BBC
In 2015 it became mandatory for all women to serve in the military.
Source: The Guardian
Before 2015 women served purely on a voluntary basis.
Citizens of North Korea may only own a motor vehicle if they are a military or government official.
Source: USA Today
Soldiers in the military face malnourishment and hunger due to a lack of food availability and rigorous training.
Source: NK News
Nuclear tests were conducted within the country in 2006, 2009, and 2013.
Source: US Department of Defense
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