Deserters flee winter training and cause panic in the military
A soldier patrols the border in Ryanggang Province. [Image/NK Times]
A division of the X Corps of the People’s Army based in Pochon county in Ryanggang Province has reportedly experienced a serious incident just days into its winter training exercises.
Local sources say that two recruits deserted on December 6, less than a week after training began.
Both were new to the military, having joined about five months earlier, completed three months of basic training, and been newly assigned to Pochon.
Internal accounts suggest the deserters struggled with the harsh discipline and persistent hunger that characterize military life. Having previously lived as civilians, they are said to also have expressed frustration at being commanded by younger soldiers and at the constant food shortages. These factors are believed to have contributed to their decision to flee.
While desertion is not uncommon, sources emphasized that it is unusual just a few days into winter training.
More serious for senior officers is the sensitivity of the timing with the ruling Workers’ Party preparing to convene its 13th plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee in mid-December. This has in fact caused heightened alarm within the division.
In response, the unit has mobilized extensively to track down the missing soldiers. Three capture teams, each composed of one officer and two soldiers, were reportedly dispatched with strict orders from the command to apprehend the deserters before the upcoming party plenary session.
At the same time, the division leadership has intensified internal discipline, sending officers to sub-units for frequent personnel checks and reinforcing measures to prevent further desertions.
As a training division, the unit in Pochon is tasked with defending the border region, maintaining public order, and preventing smuggling along the frontier with China. In times of heightened tension, it also plays a role in internal security and population control.
Kang is a reporter at NK Times, a Seoul-based media outlet focused on North Korean issues. He was born in 1978 in Chongjin and graduated from Chongjin 1st High School in North Korea. After 10 years of military service in the 4th Army Corps, he attended Chongjin Agricultural University before defecting.
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