Amid reports that there have been casualties among North Korean troops deployed to Russia, it has been reported that North Korea has already established the principle that disappearances or deaths after deployment are treated as top secret.
A source inside North Korea who is familiar with the circumstances of the Storm Corps (11th Corps), known as the core force among the troops dispatched to Russia, told Daily NK on the 23rd, “There is already an internal policy in place that if a death occurs while deployed, it will be handled quietly according to internal military procedures,” adding, “The family will also be informed. “The principle is to provide only very limited information and never inform residents,” he said.
The source continued, “If you die during training, you can just bury or cremate someone in the mountains near the unit and send a death notice to your hometown, but there is no need to say anything about dispatching troops.” He added, “If you get into an accident and get to the point where you can’t show off your combat capabilities, you will be treated locally.” “No, we will first go through the repatriation process,” he added.
In relation to this, the Dong-A Ilbo previously reported that since 2014, the North Korean authorities have been providing enhanced training to Storm Corps soldiers on ‘giving one’s life for the Supreme Commander.’ From the authorities’ perspective, the soldiers are nothing more than tools for ‘defending the leader to the death.’ (See related article: Storm Corps “Shield willing to sacrifice his life for Kim Jong-un” ideological study)
The source said, “When (North Korean soldiers) are healthy, they are fighters who can fight for the leader and (mercenaries) who can earn money, but when they are injured or die, they immediately become useless (from the authorities’ point of view).” He pointed out.
In particular, it is pointed out that even in this situation, the North Korean authorities are focusing on eliminating only elements that may pose a threat to the system, such as ‘blocking rumors’. Just as they do not acknowledge the deployment of troops and do not report on them in the Rodong Sinmun, it is predicted that information will be completely blocked so that residents do not know about the fallen.
The source said, “In accordance with the principle of confidentiality, we are ensuring that nothing related to this deployment is made public. If this fact is known, the parties who provided the information will be held accountable, so there will be repercussions, such as executions, in the future.” He said. This is interpreted to mean that the ‘National Secret Protection Act’ enacted in 2023 is likely to apply here as well.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that some in North Korea are raising concerns that North Korea’s dispatch of troops to Russia could be a strategic ploy for an invasion of South Korea, given that the Storm Corps is specialized enough to organize two-way training to simulate a South Korean strike and infiltration three times a year. .
The source said, “I understand that prior to dispatching troops, they repeatedly conducted quasi-simulator training and made sniping training especially intensive,” adding, “They hit (Korea’s) KBS and several other broadcasting stations and immediately hoisted the Republic’s flag.” He said, “I understand that they also carried out activities to cause local disruption, such as conducting enemy projects by broadcasting throughout Korea.”
It is known that Storm Corps soldiers are carefully selected by evaluating their physical strength, loyalty, and mental strength. The compulsory service period is about 10 to 13 years depending on the rank order, and is characterized by a longer service period and stricter discipline than regular units. It is also said that as an elite special forces unit, the intensity of training is very high.
The source said, “The Storm Corps is strengthening its training of 100 per day and 100 per day through high-intensity physical training and tactical training reminiscent of actual battles.” “We are conducting training based on the principle of understanding all the strategies and tactics of the Army, Navy and Air Force units,” he said.
Source: www.dailynk.com
