＜Inside N. Korea＞ Regime Maintains 8 Year Enlistment Policy but Shifts Focus to Training University Graduates for “Scientific Warfare”

◆ Party policy is to redirect personnel to construction projects

A domestic investigation conducted by ASIAPRESS has revealed that the length of military service for boys enlisting this spring in North Korea is the same as last year: eight years. The Kim Jong-un regime reduced the total number of military personnel last year by drastically shortening the length of military service, and this policy has been maintained. It was also found that this year, the government is encouraging university enrolment to prioritize the development of human resource professionals (ISHIMARU Jiro/Kang Ji-won).

The length of military service in North Korea is far too long; it began to grow gradually starting in the 2000s, and according to an ASIAPRESS domestic investigation, by 2020 it had reached 13 years for men and 8 years for women (women are volunteers only). This is the longest military service in the world.

It is unfortunate that they have to spend their youth, the most dynamic period of their lives, in military camps. Moreover, the long period of military service has caused a serious shortage of young workers at industrial sites.

After the 8th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea held last January, the Kim Jong-un regime decided to drastically reduce the total number of military personnel. It shortened the length of military service to eight years for men and five years for women and discharged a large number of soldiers who had exceeded their service terms to instead work in agriculture and mining, where production was hampered by a shortage of personnel.

What about this year's military service period? Parents with sons and daughters had been very worried.

◆"We have nuclear missiles..."

In North Korea, a recruiting program called "invitation recruitment" runs every April. Prospective graduates of upper secondary schools (equivalent to high schools) must choose whether to enlist in the military, continue their education, or be assigned to a workplace. Since the "Military Service Law" requires boys to enlist between the ages of 17 and 25, the majority of them enlist after graduation. For girls, although it is a volunteer system that stipulates that "you can enlist by the age of 18," the government has strongly promoted the enlistment of girls over the past dozen years to make up for the shortage of soldiers.

Military service is handled by the "Military Mobilization Department," a government office under the Defence Ministry's Formation Replenishment Bureau, which is established throughout the country. ASIAPRESS contacted three of our reporting partners in North Hamkyung Province and Ryanggang Province in mid-March, and asked them to meet with the personnel in charge of the "Military Mobilization Department" and school officials to investigate.

The results were consistent in each area. The length of military service for those set to graduate from upper secondary schools and enlist in April this year is 8 years for boys and 5 years for girls. This is the same as last year. However, for special military units, such as missile units, military service lengths can be more than 10 years.

One of our reporting partners who conducted an investigation of the "Military Mobilization Department" gave the following statement:

"When I asked the officer in charge if there were not enough soldiers because of the large number of troops discharged last year, he replied that 'Modern war is technological and scientific warfare. We have nuclear missiles, so it is the Party's policy to give priority to socialist construction.'"

◆ Encouraging students to go to college, but...

In North Korea, a recruiting program called "invitation recruitment" runs every April. Prospective graduates of upper secondary schools (equivalent to high schools) must choose whether to enlist in the military, continue their education, or be assigned to a workplace. Since the "Military Service Law" requires boys to enlist between the ages of 17 and 25, the majority of them enlist after graduation. For girls, although it is a volunteer system that stipulates that "you can enlist by the age of 18," the government has strongly promoted the enlistment of girls over the past dozen years to make up for the shortage of soldiers.

Military service is handled by the "Military Mobilization Department," a government office under the Defence Ministry's Formation Replenishment Bureau, which is established throughout the country. ASIAPRESS contacted three of our reporting partners in North Hamkyung Province and Ryanggang Province in mid-March, and asked them to meet with the personnel in charge of the "Military Mobilization Department" and school officials to investigate.

The results were consistent in each area. The length of military service for those set to graduate from upper secondary schools and enlist in April this year is 8 years for boys and 5 years for girls. This is the same as last year. However, for special military units, such as missile units, military service lengths can be more than 10 years.

One of our reporting partners who conducted an investigation of the "Military Mobilization Department" gave the following statement:

"When I asked the officer in charge if there were not enough soldiers because of the large number of troops discharged last year, he replied that 'Modern war is technological and scientific warfare. We have nuclear missiles, so it is the Party's policy to give priority to socialist construction.'"

◆ Still, the reality is that students must be able to afford to go on to higher education.

However, the number of students going on to college is not seeming to increase by much.

"In fact, most families choose not to encourage their children to go on to higher education but to enlist in the military. This is because they cannot afford to send their children to college unless they can make ends meet."

The three reporting partners who conducted research into this matter all reported back similarly. In North Korea, college tuition is supposed to be free. Yet, why do children from poor families give up on higher education? 

In North Korea, students are often placed in dormitories for university. Although dormitory fees are free, students are undernourished unless they supplement their meagre school lunches with additional food. In the last 20 years or so, uniforms and educational materials are almost entirely self-funded. Without money sent by their parents, students are simply unable to survive.

◆ Military placement is decided by bribes

On the other hand, for parents who enlist their children in the military, the primary concern is which unit their children will be placed in. The main reason is the poor treatment of enlistees in the general units. It is common in North Korea for new soldiers to become malnourished, and accidents are frequent in units engaged in construction and civil engineering work.

"All parents want their children to be placed in well-supported units. But that can't happen without doing 'business.' In short, giving a bribe."

It is said that the most popular units are the Ministry of Security (secret police), the Security Ministry (police), and the Coast Guard units. Previously, the most popular units were the border guards posted along the border with China. This was because border guards could receive bribes from people living along the border by turning a blind eye to smuggling and border crossing. However, such benefits disappeared when border controls were tightened to prevent the coronavirus.

"The bribe required for entering Ministry of Security units ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 RMB, for Security Ministry units, 2,000 RMB, and for Coast Guard units, about 1,500 RMB. People in the Military Mobilization Department are competing with each other for ‘clients’ since the spring enlistment period is the best time to earn money" (100 Chinese yuan is equal to about 15.75 USD).

Our reporting partner, who told us all this, also has two children. Soon it will be time for them too to worry about their children’s career paths.

※ASIAPRESS contacts its reporting partners in North Korea through smuggled Chinese mobile phones.