{"id":4508,"date":"2020-03-26T10:10:37","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T01:10:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4508"},"modified":"2022-05-16T18:01:10","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T09:01:10","slug":"corona-soldier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2020\/03\/military\/corona-soldier\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cPeople\u2019s Army Update\uff1e Soldiering Off: Bases on Lockdown and Annual Enlistment Delayed to Prevent Spread of Coronavirus"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A thin-looking officer shops for groceries at a market. Photograph taken at Hyesan Market, Ryanggang Province, in August 2013 (ASIAPRESS)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cSoldiers have all but disappeared from the streets\u201d<\/p>\n

In mid-March, ASIAPRESS asked a reporting partner from Ryanggang Province in the northern region of North Korea to investigate the movements of military personnel in response to the coronavirus crisis.<\/p>\n

To provide background, the number of troops in the Korean People\u2019s Army stands at 1 million, slightly less than 5% of the overall population. Soldiers are, therefore, a common sight in any city around the country. Besides when they are on leave or on the move in convoys, soldiers are frequently seen leaving the barracks to shop or eat at local markets.<\/p>\n

This is no longer the case, however. As to why, the reporting partner explained:<\/p>\n

\u201cTo prevent the spread of coronavirus within the military, the nearby Army headquarters has prohibited all soldiers from leaving the base. Military police go around the streets on their motorbikes, patrolling the areas around military and border guard units to monitor the soldiers\u2019 behavior. You can\u2019t see soldiers in town at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Korean People\u2019s Army holds its winter training every year from December 1 to the end of March. While soldiers and officers are restricted from going out during this period, they would usually still be able to leave their bases in convoys or for grocery shopping. These days, though, they cannot be seen anywhere.
\nNext page :Enlistment of recruits also faces unusual delay...<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A young soldier, visibly exhausted, rests in a station square. Photographed in Sariwon City in October 2008 (ASIAPRESS)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u25c6 Enlistment of recruits also faces unusual delay<\/h2>\n

The coronavirus has had another effect on the military. The enlistment of new recruits has been postponed from April.<\/p>\n

According to the reporting partner, \u201cEvery year, around April 15, there is a high school graduation event where enlisted graduates depart to their units in new military uniforms. This event has been postponed. When I met with an official from the province\u2019s military mobilization department and asked why, he said the physical examinations had been completed but that he had received orders to delay enlistment due to concerns of coronavirus infection.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u203b After graduating from school at the age of 17, men must serve in the military for at least 10 years.<\/p>\n

In addition, the new semester for all schools, originally scheduled for April 1, has been postponed.<\/p>\n

On March 21, North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles off its western coast. The day before, the Rodong Sinmun and other state news outlets reported that Kim Jong-un had personally overseen artillery drills.<\/p>\n

This marked the third such test by North Korea this year, with all tests taking place this month. With the repeated tests, the regime aims to improve their capabilities and flaunt its military power.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, U.S. Forces Korea Commander Abrams announced on March 13 that military activity would be suspended for 30 days due to the impact of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n

This latest information from reporting partners in North Korea shows that strict orders have been imposed on soldiers, even delaying the enlistment of new recruits. While the regime continues to demonstrate its capabilities through missile tests, the Korean People\u2019s Army is in a state of emergency, wary of spreading the coronavirus. (Kang Ji-won)<\/p>\n

\u203b ASIAPRESS contacts reporting partners in North Korea through smuggled Chinese mobile phones.<\/p>\n

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