{"id":4655,"date":"2020-07-27T19:34:22","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T10:34:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4655"},"modified":"2020-08-01T16:14:28","modified_gmt":"2020-08-01T07:14:28","slug":"military-service2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2020\/07\/military\/military-service2\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N. Korea\uff1e A Look at Korean People\u2019s Army Recruitment through Secretly Obtained Documents (Part 2): Cultivating Kamikaze Dedication to Kim Jong-un"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The proportion of female soldiers in North Korea\u2019s military has been rising recently. Some report that the proportion is as high as 40 percent. This photo shows a female soldier who has come to buy goods at a street market. Photographed in Ryanggang Province in June 2013 by ASIAPRESS<\/p><\/div>\n

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>> A Look at Korean People\u2019s Army Recruitment through Secretly Obtained Documents (Part 1)<\/a><\/span> >><\/strong><\/p>\n

North Korea\u2019s military enlistment process begins in early April. Each spring, 17 year-old boys and girls, freshly graduated from high school, will gather in their new military uniforms for a ceremony attended by parents and local residents.<\/p>\n

The ceremony for the \u201cglorious enlistment in the People\u2019s Army\u201d is meant to be a celebration but, for the parents of new recruits, the occasion can bring an array of emotions. Though the People\u2019s Army allows soldiers to visit home for certain holidays, parents are unlikely to meet their child often over the next 10 years. Beyond that, parents are deeply concerned about the harsh barracks lifestyle that their children will experience following enlistment.<\/p>\n

The most disturbing of parent\u2019s concerns is malnutrition, a particularly common problem in the military. This concern is accompanied by the fear of their child falling victim to an accident or to sexual harassment- a major issue for enlisted women in particular. This year, parents were temporarily put at ease, as the enlistment process was postponed due to the coronavirus. An unceremonious farewell, however, came in late April.<\/p>\n

According to a reporting partner who investigated the effect of the coronavirus on the recruitment process from April to June, \u201cThis year\u2019s recruits were deployed sequentially since late April without a farewell ceremony. Boot camps in each region provided accommodation and 20 days of training. Recruits who showed no signs of coronavirus infection were incorporated into units and squads following training. During the training period, all recruits were prohibited from leaving the bases. They were also not mobilized for farming efforts in the countryside. This was to prevent coronavirus from spreading to the unit and to avoid unnecessary contact with civilians. Because they were strictly quarantined, they could not leave to buy food with the money given to them by their parents, even if they were going hungry.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is the status of recruitment in North Korea? In the last report, \uff1cA Look at Korean People\u2019s Army Recruitment through Secretly Obtained Documents (Part 1): 13 Years of Stolen Youth> , ASIAPRESS examined official documents regarding the enlistment process.<\/p>\n

Through a reporting partner in North Korea, ASIAPRESS acquired a document internally-disseminated by the Workers\u2019 Party in March 2020. The purpose of the document, entitled \u201cAll Citizens Must Fulfill the Demands of Military Service,\u201d 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

NextPage: \u3000\u25c6 Military service terms decided and altered at the discretion of the State\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Well-dressed residents attend a grand ceremony to celebrate the enlistment of new recruits. Photographed in August 2006 in Chongjin City by Lee Jun (ASIAPRESS)<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u25c6 Military service terms decided and altered at the discretion of the State<\/h2>\n

...Articles 12 through 17 of the Military Service Act regulate the following:<\/military><\/p>\n

\u25cf Enlisted citizens must serve in their assigned unit.
\n\u25cf A citizen can become a military officer with the appropriate education.
\n\u25cf The length of military service terms shall be determined by the State according to the demand for military personnel and targets.
\n\u25cf The State may determine military service limits depending on the type of military service and service conditions.
\n\u25cf Military service terms of 1-3 years will be given to citizens that have contributed or will contribute particularly to the development of science, technology, physical education, and arts.
\n\u25cf Institutions, enterprises, and organizations shall select applicable citizens according to the criteria for 1-3 year military service terms.<\/p>\n

The internally-disseminated document also contains the following commentary:<\/p>\n

\u25cf Military service is based upon a high sense of consciousness and integrity.
\n\u25cf To serve faithfully in the military is a noble and wonderful tradition of North Korean youth.
\n\u25cf The heroes of the War for the Liberation of the Fatherland, including Li Su-bok, and the heroes of the 60\u2019s and 90\u2019s such as Kim Kwang-chul and Gil Young-jo, were all faithful soldiers who performed their military duties better than anyone else.
\n\u25cf All young graduates should enlist in the People\u2019s Army and display great loyalty and patriotism to shine in their time serving in the military.
\n\u25cf In particular, recruits must be trained to fight to the death to serve the leader of the revolution, respecting the duty of military service faithfully.<\/p>\n

NextPage: \u3000\u25c6 Lack of enlistees sees ratio of female recruits rise to 40 percent\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u25c6 Lack of enlistees sees ratio of female recruits rise to 40 percent<\/h2>\n

The terms \u201cpolitical and military service\u201d and \u201cmilitary service\u201d are written almost interchangeably. According to a North Korean defector with experience in the military, however, these terms can be understood to be similar but not entirely the same.<\/p>\n

The most important thing to note from this page, however, is the number of years of military service. It is said that the state can decide service limits \u201cin consideration of the demand for military personnel and recruitment targets,\u201d as well as in consideration of \u201cthe type of military service and service conditions.\u201d In other words, military service lengths are not determined by law, with the Military Service Act giving the state quite a lot of flexibility to decide service length based upon military conditions, unit strengths, and roles.<\/p>\n

The length of military service therefore can vary. Men may be required to serve in the military for 10, 11, or 13 years, while women may be ordered to serve for 5, 6, or 7 years.<\/p>\n

In his doctoral thesis on the \u201cOrganizational Characteristics and Symbolic System of the Chosun People\u2019s Army (2017),\u201d Seoul National University student, Fyodor Zrzyskisky, wrote that military service terms for men were 13 years in 1996, 10 years in 2003, and 10-11 years in 2015. For women, Zrzyskisky wrote that service periods were variable, with the service period set at 9 years in 1996 and 10 years in 2003. In 2015, women were ordered to serve in the military until the (international) age of 23.<\/p>\n

It is apparent from internal documents that military service lengths were no longer set by law after 2003. In other words, it is most likely that the regime has decided military service lengths each year according to changing conditions.<\/p>\n

According to a reporting partner who spoke with an officer in charge of local military recruitment, \u201cThis year\u2019s enlistment service lengths are 13 years for men and 8 years for women.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The reporting partner went on, explaining, \u201cThis year\u2019s service lengths are the same as last year. There were rumors of a change at the end of last year but, in the end, the periods were kept the same. According to a recruitment official, the ratio of women recruited was 30 percent last year and is 40 percent this year. The reason for this rise is that the overall number of recruits is lower this year. Women are primarily given roles in communications or artillery, some even using rocket launchers, but recently there are women deployed to general infantry units.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

For reference, a North Korean defector who enlisted in the military in 1998, testified that during their time in the military, the proportion of women was less than 10 percent.<\/p>\n

The standard length of service is 13 years for men and 8 years for women. There is,though, a possibility of service periods being extended or shortened depending on current troop levels. However, it is said that it is far more common for service periods to be lengthened.<\/p>\n

In recently obtained documents it is outlined that enlistees who have a strong background in science, technology, sports, or the arts may have their service period shortened. The internally-disseminated documents also refer to \u201cheroes\u201d such as Ri Su-bok, as examples of soldiers who displayed the proper spirit of self-sacrifice.<\/p>\n

The documents also use the fanatical phrase \u201cself-sacrificing soldiers who defend the leadership of the revolution with their life.\u201d In other words, it is expected that soldiers will be willing to die for Kim Jong-un. According to the defector who served in the N. Korean military, \u201csoldiers are mentally trained like Japanese kamikaze commandos.\u201d<\/p>\n

NextPage: \u3000\u25c6 Vulnerable Veterans\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u25c6 Vulnerable Veterans<\/h2>\n...Articles 20 through 22 of the Military Service Act regulate the following:<\/people>\n

\u25cf Local government agencies and business organizations should take care of veterans by giving preference to citizens who have completed their political and military service terms.
\n\u25cf An important factor behind the construction of a powerful army is the good work of reinforcements.
\n\u25cf Institutions and enterprises should regularly organize projects related to military service and ensure military supplies such as food and clothing are safely produced and delivered.<\/p>\n

The internally-disseminated document also contains the following commentary on the above regulations, which reads:<\/p>\n

\u201cPreferential treatment by society to people who have completed their political and military service with distinction will help increase the sense of pride in serving and make our revolutionary armed forces a true, invincible protector of the people.<\/p>\n

A number of provincial, municipal, and military government agencies, including the North Pyongan Province People's Committee, are focusing on the housing and financial needs of veterans, so that they can settle well in new posts and perform their duties faithfully.<\/p>\n

Numerous organizations, including the General Bureau of Trade, the Gyeongheung Guidance Bureau, the Kujang District Coal Mining Company, and the Medical Science Institute are doing well to supply veterans, contributing to the soldiers\u2019 love for their country and improving morale.<\/p>\n

In the past, however, not all organizations paid enough attention to the housing and vocational needs of discharged soldiers and, through attaching preconditions and other such excuses, caused inconvenience to their lives.<\/p>\n

All workers and leaders must be aware of the demands of the Military Service Act and fully implement it in order to help build a socialist military power and actively contribute to the \u2018steel wall\u2019 defense of the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u25c6 Veterans In Need<\/h2>\n

What the documents show is that the reality on the ground is that local governments, businesses, and other organizations do not adequately take care of the needs of veterans who have returned to society after more than a decade of service. (ISHIMARU Jiro)<\/p>\n

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