The Libyan Army was once feared amongst its Arab neighbors with its capabilities shrouded in mystery. Media streams from the country after the revolution now offer a rare insight into this previously reclusive nation, and shows the DPRK's influences were larger than once was thought. North Korean-made arms – including some previously unseen in Libya – have surfaced as arms depots have been opened and weapons have proliferated to various groups, including beyond the Libyan government, which originally acquired them.

The 1969 coup d'état led by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi resulted in the abolition of King Idris' Libyan monarchy and the establishment of the Libyan Arab Republic. This quick transition of power brought along a whole new political system and a swift change from a pro-Western foreign policy to a considerably anti-Western foreign policy.