A North Korean defector has said that the North Korean military has created a special forces commando unit to conduct operations against U.S. military facilities in Okinawa.

The commandos plan to attack military bases and gather intelligence, said Ri Tok-Nam, a former special forces member now living in Seoul.

"Special forces units frequently go to Japan. The most difficult country is South Korea. Since Japan is not on a war footing, all of the defenses on the coastlines are weak,” Ri said.

Ri told the Japanese newspaper Naha Ryukyu on April 27 that commandos use small battery-powered submarines that can carry up to 16 people. The subs would be used in attacks on Japan, Ri said. The submarines are capable of making a round trip to Guam.

The unit charged with attacking Okinawa in any conflict is the 67th Reconnaissance Battalion, which includes specialists in intelligence-gathering, assaults, psychological warfare and other special tasks.

"The unit has around 550 soldiers, and all are officer-class and can speak Japanese well,” Ri said. “They used to say that since the most important military bases are in Okinawa, we will have to go to Okinawa."

Ri said the commandos are indoctrinated to believe that the U.S. forces on Okinawa, where Marines are based, pose a grave threat to North Korea.

The U.S. Marine Corps base on Okinawa is considered a major source of troops and weapons for any conflict in Korea.

Ri defected in 1990 in a midget submarine.

"The North Korean government whips up this sense of crisis among the people by warning, 'The United States is going to send bombers to North Korea from Okinawa,'" said Ri.

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