When is Revolutionary Army Foundation Day?
In 2026, Revolutionary Army Foundation Day falls on Saturday, April 25, 2026. It is classified here as a North Korean public holiday.
History of Revolutionary Army Foundation Day
Korean People's Revolutionary Army Foundation Day is observed on April 25. DPRK official history traces this date to an anti-Japanese guerrilla formation in 1932 and treats that force as the revolutionary predecessor of the later Korean People's Army.
The anniversary is distinct from February 8, which marks establishment of the regular Korean People's Army in 1948. Both dates appear in current diplomatic holiday information, and DPRK reporting documented the April 25 anniversary again in 2026.
April 25 commemorates the Korean People's Revolutionary Army in DPRK official history, which dates its creation to an anti-Japanese guerrilla force in 1932. Historians distinguish that narrative and its claimed organisational continuity from the regular Korean People's Army established on February 8, 1948. Both anniversaries now appear in documented DPRK calendars. In April 2026, KCNA reported military visits and a firing contest for the KPRA's ninety-fourth anniversary, confirming the date remained active. The guide attributes the 1932 foundation claim rather than repeating it as an independently settled fact.
How Revolutionary Army Foundation Day is observed
A nationwide state and military holiday fixed on Saturday, April 25, 2026, distinct from the regular army anniversary on February 8.
Traditions of Revolutionary Army Foundation Day
KPRA anniversary ceremonies
Military institutions commemorate the official 1932 founding claim through visits, meetings and selected exercises reported by state outlets.
Historical performances
Songs and exhibitions present anti-Japanese guerrilla history through the DPRK's political narrative, which the guide attributes rather than endorses.
Two army dates kept distinct
April 25 programming concerns the claimed revolutionary predecessor, while February 8 separately marks the regular army founded in 1948.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official North Korean official and calendar guidance. Lunar-calendar and annual state schedules should be confirmed against authoritative current-year guidance.
History sources: North Korea 2026 public-holiday calendar, KCNA: Lunar New Year’s Day celebrated in the DPRK, Russian Embassy in the DPRK: country information and holiday list, KCNA reporting: April 25 KPRA anniversary in 2026.
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