Read a version of this story in Korean
Hungry North Korean soldiers sell part of their military equipment to buy food, encouraging officials to do inspections that caught some soldiers without all their equipment issued, residents of the country with Radio Free Asia told the country.
Although the military in the country are often subject to subcontracts, military quality items tend to be of better quality than the products that civilians can obtain, they are therefore considered desirable.
Weapons are often used during training, but personal equipment such as tents, lunch boxes, canteens and waterproof rice containers are not used so often, so some soldiers think they are not lacking.
The FRG has reported in the past that soldiers are often hungry, and some of them even fly residents get food.
Inspections started earlier this month and will now perform regularly, a resident in the northeast province of North Hamgyong told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
“The authorities have recently determined that some young soldiers sell their equipment issued by the military or give it to people they know because they are hungry and need money,” he said. “In fact, a lot of soldiers during this inspection were captured without their equipment that they were supposed to have.”
Two articles – canteens and waterproof rice bags – are particularly sought after, he said.
Those who were captured without all their equipment issued were going to be seriously punished, he said.
“They will be asked about how they have eliminated their military equipment,” he said. “Measures will probably be taken, such as having them brought back their equipment or paying the missing items.”
Not enough
A unit in the north-west province of northern Pyongan made the surprise inspection by asking soldiers to meet for a combat exercise in an open field, a resident told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.
“I heard that of a soldier who frequently visits my house,” he said. “The articles that were mainly raised during the inspection were military rice containers and personal tents. There was also a unit that lacked several shovels. »»
He said that the rice container is something that everyone needs and that tents can be used to cover the holes in the roofs of houses and other buildings.
In North Korea, valid men must serve 10 years in 1.2 million armies after high school, from 18 years old, while valid women must serve seven years.
But rations can be small and RFA reported that new recruits plead with their parents for food shortly after getting started.
“Some newly enlisted soldiers are so hungry that they will secretly sell their military supplies,” he said. “It will be difficult to completely eradicate this phenomenon unless chronic problems such as hunger are resolved.”
Translated by Claire S. Lee. Published by Eugene WHHONG and MALCOLM FOSTER.