Later he joined the National Committee for a Free Germany, and held a number of military and political roles in the German Democratic Republic.

[1] On March 17, 1909, Korfes enlisted in the Imperial German Army as an Fahnenjunker (officer cadet), joining the 3rd Magdeburg Infantry Regiment No.

After the end of the war, Korfes was retained in the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic, reaching the rank of major on September 30, 1920.

In 1929, he married Gudrun Mertz von Quirnheim [de] (1907–1979), who descended from a minor noble family.

On November 16, 1942, Korfes was reactivated and placed in command of the 295th Infantry Division, succeeding Rolf Wuthmann.

He joined the anti-Nazi National Committee for a Free Germany (NKFD) and took part in radio broadcasts calling for German soldiers to surrender.

[4][5] As a result of his cooperation with the Soviet Union, members of Korfes' family were taken to various prisons and concentration camps under the principle of Sippenhaft.

After the conclusion of the Second World War, Korfes was placed in charge of archives at the Ministry of the Interior of the German Democratic Republic.