{"id":4640,"date":"2020-07-13T12:34:25","date_gmt":"2020-07-13T03:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4640"},"modified":"2020-07-27T19:53:34","modified_gmt":"2020-07-27T10:53:34","slug":"military-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2020\/07\/military\/military-service\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N. Korea\uff1e A Look at Korean People\u2019s Army Recruitment through Secretly Obtained Documents (Part 1): 13 Years of Stolen Youth"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On the left is the cover page of the internally-disseminated document. \u201cAll Citizens Must Fulfill the Demands of Military Service.\u201d On the right is a malnourished soldier sent to hospital. Photographed in July 2011 in South Pyongan Province by ASIAPRESS<\/p><\/div>\n

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Through a reporting partner in North Korea, ASIAPRESS recently acquired a document internally-disseminated by the Workers\u2019 Party in March 2020.<\/p>\n

The five-paged document is a political ideology textbook aimed at officials and is entitled \u201cAll Citizens Must Fulfill the Demands of Military Service.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to a North Korean defector with experience in the military, \u201cThe fact that such documents are being produced shows that there are cases of people ignoring or violating the Military Service Act.\u201d<\/p>\n

The purpose of the document is to reinforce the public\u2019s knowledge of the Military Service Act which was enacted by the 10th Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly held in December 2003.<\/p>\n

Under the law, North Korea created a \u201cnational military service system,\u201d which would obligate the entire nation to perform military service in either the regular or reserve forces or the civilian armed forces.<\/p>\n

According to the 2019 Defense White Paper, the North Korean People\u2019s Army is composed of about 1.1 million troops. (However, some researchers estimate this number to be closer to 700,000.) These estimates equate to roughly 4.5-5% of the total North Korean population. In addition, it is known that there are 4.7 million reserve force members and 3.5 million members of the civilian armed forces. Based on these figures from 2018, this would push the estimated total up to 62.5 million.<\/p>\n

Maintenance of this massive armed force is very important for the Kim Jong-un regime as the Korean People\u2019s Army is one of the key elements of the North Korean system.<\/p>\n

As of 2020, the mandatory military service for North Korean men is 13 years, while for women it is 8 years. Certainly, young North Korean people must endure a harsh youth.<\/p>\n

ASIAPRESS asked a reporting partner in North Korea to investigate the current recruitment process implemented by the military. Paired with an examination of the documents obtained by reporting partners during their investigations, we can learn much about the military service policies of the country.<\/p>\n

The most recently obtained document cites Kim Jong-il, explaining the importance of national defense and military service. It also includes details of the Military Service Act, as it was enacted back in 2003. The details of this law were initially not released to the public and so are not yet well-studied by scholars in South Korea.<\/p>\n

The obtained document is not labeled with any warnings such as \u201cconfidential,\u201d \u201csecret,\u201d or \u201ctop secret.\u201d In fact, there are even several typos among the text. According to a North Korean defector who previously worked for a state agency, internal documents such as these \u201csometimes contain spelling errors.\u201d The defector also explained that documents such as this one \u201cwould be used for educational purposes for members of the Workers\u2019 Party and for members of workplaces responsible for propaganda.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u25c6 Mandatory role for men and support role for women<\/h2>\n

\u3008...Citizens shall register their military service in time and endeavor to meet the conditions of enlistment. Articles 3 through 9 of the Military Service Act regulates the following:\u3009<\/p>\n

\u30fbThe state will implement national military service.
\n\u30fbCitizens of age shall be drafted to serve in the military.
\n\u30fbAt the age of 16, citizens are required to register for military service.
\n\u30fbCitizens who change jobs must also register for military service.
\n\u30fbMale citizens must enlist for military service before the age of 25.
\n\u30fbIf required by the state, female citizens above the age of 18 may enlist for military service.
\n\u30fbCitizens who are attached to institutions or enterprises may enlist through receiving a recommendation from their workplaces.
\n\u30fbInstitutions and small enterprises shall accurately evaluate and recommend citizens who intend to enlist in the military.
\n\u30fbCitizens who intend to enlist must undergo a physical examination.
\n\u30fbIf a medical condition is discovered during the physical examination, the military recruitment center will send the citizen to the People\u2019s Hospital to be treated before enlistment.
\nNextPage: \u3000\u25c6 Enlistment following graduation\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m being sent home due to malnutrition,\u201d says a noncommissioned officer. His slender neck pokes out of his loose-fitting uniform. The photographer gave the officer a piece of bread. Photographed in the northern regions of North Korea in August, 2013. (ASIAPRESS)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u25c6 Enlistment following graduation<\/h2>\n

North Korea's compulsory education system is a total of 12 years: 1 year in kindergarten, 5 years in elementary school, 3 years in junior high school, and 3 years in high school. At the age of 16, when students are in their final year of high school, they must register for the military to prepare for their enlistment following graduation. Though male students need not enlist immediately after graduation, it is compulsory for men to join the military between the ages between the ages of 17 and 25. It is said that women may join the military at the age of 18 in a supporting role.<\/p>\n

The military recruitment agency is known as the Military Mobilization Department and is in charge of recruitment for the People\u2019s Armed Forces. Across the country, the Military Mobilization Department collaborates with local hospitals to conduct recruiting at high schools and workplaces.<\/p>\n

\u25c6 Cautions against illegal enlistment<\/h2>\n

One must register and receive a physical examination before enlisting in the People\u2019s Army. However, in the past, not all graduating high-schoolers registered or received physical examinations before leaving school and entering workplaces.<\/p>\n

In addition, parents of underweight students are urged to raise their children to be more healthy and to secure good medical treatment for their children so that they can later qualify for military service.<\/p>\n

\u25c6 Every N. Korean knows that serving in the military means going hungry<\/h2>\n

In reality, we can see that military recruitment is not a smooth process. After graduating from high school, North Korean men can postpone their military service by enrolling in college or a vocational school, by being assigned to a workplace, or avoid service altogether due to disqualifying medical conditions.<\/p>\n

The lives of those serving in the military for over 10 years are known to be particularly harsh. In fact, it is not uncommon for recent recruits to be sent home due to malnourishment. All North Koreans know that enlistment involves a lot of physical pain and mental exhaustion.<\/p>\n

As a result, parents have come up with several methods of ensuring that their children are either placed in well-fed units or avoid enlistment altogether. Since the mid-2000\u2019s, parents have often tried to bribe officers of the Military Mobilization Department to get their children out of enlistment or officials of the hospital to diagnose their child with a disqualifying disease. As for enrollment in advanced education, grades are important but not as important as money.<\/p>\n

According to a reporting partner, \u201cWithout completing military service it is almost impossible to join the Workers Party or advance in the ranks, but these days young people don\u2019t care about that. They know the power of money and think it\u2019s better to get out into society and make money quickly.\u201d The consciousness of the new generation, which grew up during the heyday of the marketized economy, has indeed completely changed from the past.<\/p>\n

According to ASIAPRESS reporter, Kang Ji-won, a defector with experience in the military, \u201cMarch is the month when new recruits enlist. Through to the end of February, parents will pay to have their children diagnosed with illnesses or send their children to college so that they can avoid enlistment. The political ideology lectures [which were held in March] were likely delivered as a warning to parents and also to educate children about the importance of military service.\u201d (ISHIMARU Jiro)<\/p>\n

(Continued to Part 2 >><\/a><\/strong><\/span>)<\/p>\n

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