It has been reported that cases of desertion among soldiers deployed to build local industrial factories in North Pyongan Province are occurring frequently.
A source from Daily NK in North Pyongan Province said on the 8th, “Soldiers assigned to the construction of local industrial plants being promoted in North Pyongan Province under the ‘Local Development 20×10 Policy’ are deserting because they cannot endure the poor conditions at the sites.” He added, “The speed of construction is guaranteed.” “The basic causes of desertion are extreme pressure, injuries, and malnutrition.”
As the construction of local industrial factories is a project that Chairman Kim Jong-un personally presented and takes special care of, the soldiers deployed to the site are forced to work hard to ensure the speed of construction. Even if injuries occur during the process, they do not receive proper treatment and continue to work. The source said that there are frequent cases of infections occurring due to crowding and hospitalization.
Moreover, the construction work itself is physically difficult, and cases of malnutrition due to lack of food are common, so even military officers are dissatisfied. The source added that ordinary soldiers on the front line are not just dissatisfied, but are even deserting.
The source said, “On the 17th of last month, a People’s Army engineering unit mobilized to build an industrial factory in North Pyongan Province captured deserters and asked them why they deserted, and most of them stated that they deserted out of despair.”
According to the source, the 19-year-old deserter who was actually captured said, “It is the policy of the Marshal (Chairman Kim Jong-un) to build local factories for 10 years, so wouldn’t I be discharged after only doing construction every year until I am discharged? First of all, I am very hungry. Additionally, the labor intensity is so intense that it is extremely difficult. So he ran away to get a civil discharge (dishonorable discharge). “Please give me a civil discharge,” he cried and begged.
The unit asked, “If you are discharged for civil service, there will be no possibility for advancement in society, so will you have no work?” However, the soldier reportedly said, “It doesn’t matter,” and continued to request a civil discharge.
However, the unit concluded that if this soldier was given a living discharge as requested, other deserters would also request a living discharge, and that rather than letting him become a failure, the answer would be to have him serve in the military in the most difficult places and re-educate him to become stronger.
At the same time, the unit proposed a plan to strengthen control and crackdown to prevent desertion incidents by organizing separate security teams at construction sites and manning them day and night.
However, the source said, “Although the unit is controlling desertion with temporary measures, the problem of desertion by soldiers who are hungry, sick, and suffering in poor environments will not be easily resolved.”
The ’20×10 policy for local development’ was first presented by Chairman Kim in his speech at the 10th session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly on January 15 this year. It aims to build modern factories in 20 counties every year to improve the people’s income within 10 years. The goal is to develop the level of material culture of the people.
This year, in North Pyongan Province, Guseong-si, Gujang-gun, and Unsan-gun were selected as regions for the construction of local industrial factories.
Source: www.dailynk.com
