How is the Russian deployment viewed inside N.Korea? (1) Parents of soldiers gradually discovering deployments and information spreading: "They might get to eat plenty of cheese and milk," "No one thinks they're going to war"

The governments of South Korea, Ukraine, UK, US, and Japan have confirmed that North Korea has already sent thousands of troops to Russia, which invaded Ukraine. Both North Korea and Russia, which initially denied the deployment, are no longer denying it. What about inside North Korea, where information is strictly controlled? According to three reporting partners living in the northern region of the country, information about troop deployments to Russia is gradually spreading. (KANG Ji-won / ISHIMARU Jiro)

◆ Initially Unaware of the Ukraine War

South Korea's National Intelligence Service revealed information about the North Korean troop deployment to Russia on October 18. When asked the next day, reporting partner A, a Workers' Party member in North Hamgyong Province, told ASIAPRESS, "I knew nothing about it. Haven't heard any rumors either." They noticed no unusual movements in domestic military units. Reporting Partner B from Ryanggang Province similarly responded, "Never heard of it."

Initially, ordinary North Korean citizens' understanding of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the ongoing intense fighting remains vague. According to B, "Most people probably think it's not a war between nations, but rather an ethnic conflict with Ukraine, a former Soviet state, or Russia's civil war."

Specific details about the war situation, such as Russia suffering over 70,000 casualties due to Ukraine's fierce counteroffensive, are completely unknown. Moreover, amid continued economic hardship following the pandemic, citizens haven't had the luxury to pay attention to a war in distant Europe.

As time passed after the South Korean government's announcement, information about the Russian deployment began spreading within North Korea. On October 25, reporting partner C from Ryanggang Province reported, "I heard about troops being sent to Russia. More people here are becoming aware of it." We asked C about the current situation.

◆ Parents of Soldiers Notice Russian Deployment

--- How did you learn about the Russian deployment?

"I heard it from an acquaintance whose son is in the military. This acquaintance used to send 200-300 yuan every two months to their 22-year-old son through a money transfer agent, but the son contacted them through the agent saying to stop sending money because the unit was going to Russia. The parent said they couldn't openly discuss it as it's a military secret."

*100 yuan is approximately 19,000 North Korean won.

To provide some context, North Korean men currently serve 8 years of military service (longer for certain branches). Except for some units like those related to missiles, it's common knowledge in North Korea that soldiers get poor food rations. It's not uncommon for soldiers to become malnourished.

Worried parents typically deposit money with agents near their sons' military units, paying about 10% commission, so their children can buy bread or rice cakes when they leave the base. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, control over military personnel has become stricter, with mobile phone use banned and home leave rarely permitted.

◆ Expectation of Better Food in Russia

--- How did your acquaintance, the soldier's parent, react to their son's deployment to Russia? Do they realize there's a possibility of death if their son participates in combat?

"They didn't think (their son) was going into combat. They thought he would just be assigned to guard duty in the rear. Still, being a parent, they were worried."

--- Are there parents who still don't know their sons are being deployed to Russia?

"Many parents probably don't know. Few people know (about the Russian deployment) yet, and even those who do can't freely tell others for fear of punishment. If information about troops being sent to Russia spreads, all parents will try to find out if their sons are going."

--- Besides soldiers' parents, how are others who know about the deployment reacting?

"The general perception is that if deployed to Russia, they won't go hungry because they'll get to eat plenty of things like cheese and milk. People don't even think about them participating in combat."

--- The South Korean government claims that North Korea is isolating the parents of soldiers being sent to Russia to prevent information from spreading. Are the soldiers' parents expressing any complaints?

"What isolation? The parents of deployed soldiers living in my area haven't been isolated. Though worried, they can't speak openly about it. I don't know what will happen if death notices arrive, but for now, there are no voices of anxiety or complaint."

Kim Jong-un visited Russia's Far East last September, meeting with President Putin and inspecting military facilities and a space center during his 5-day, 6-night stay. In June this year, Putin visited North Korea and signed a 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty.' This has been extensively covered by North Korean state media. Additionally, as Russian wheat and flour appear in food rations, and tourist and business visitors to North Korea increase, there's growing hope among struggling North Korean citizens that deeper relations with Russia will improve the economy.

※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.