2015/September/10
Report: PAEK Chang-ryong, defector reporter, Rimjin-gang
<This article first appeared in the Korean and Japanese edition of Rimjin-gang on August 2015>
Military tensions between the two Koreas are once again easing since August 25, when the North officially expressed regret over the explosion of a mine in the Demilitarized Zone. In an interesting twist, however, the North Korean government is claiming it was South Korea that issued the apology.
Rimjin-gang's North Korean reporting partner who lives in the country's Northern region, told us the following in relation to the North-South talks:
"In the People's Unit and the workplaces, the authorities announced that the military provocation was initially caused by the U.S and South Korea. They say that these provocations have now been quelled and the threat of war neutralized as they have apologized for their mistakes. "
(NOTE: People's Unit(인민반); The lowest local administration unit composed of neighborhoods)
This reporting partner added:
"Following the all-clear announcement and the return to a pre-wartime state on August 26, the government halted the civil defense force 'Red Guard'(적위대) drills, mobilized in response to the emergency. But the 'Instruction Troop' and military soldiers remained on alert for a further week."
(NOTE: The Instruction Corps(교도대) ;This is the largest civil force. It has nearly the equivalent level of ordinary army infantry equipment and combatants. It is the North Korean equivalent of the reserve army).
Replying to Rimjin-gang's editing team's question over how the official state TV reported on the North and South talks, our North Korean reporting partner commented:
"How can I watch the TV when we don't have any electricity? We only have an electricity supply on national holidays. Even on these occasions the voltage is so poor that we can't always get a clear picture."
*** Rimjin-gang
(*Rimjin-gang/ASIAPRESS smuggles Chinese carrier mobile phones into North Korea. These devices function in the border area of North Korea. Using these, our North Korean reporters and reporting partners communicate with us on the latest developments.)
*** Rimjin-gang
* Editor's notes on North Korean reporters
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