Notifications of soldiers killed in action down amid negative public sentiment
A commendation letter from the Army’s 974th Military Unit. [Image / NK Times]
Following a surge in notifications of soldiers killed in action in Russia at the end of last year, such notifications appear to have decreased in February, according to sources in North Korea.
“From November to the end of January, many families in Hoeryong and Chongjin were told their sons had died after being drafted. But so far this month, we haven’t been hearing about such cases,” the source told NK Times.
“In Hoeryong, the last case I am directly aware of was on January 6 when I saw a family in Nammun-dong mourning their son’s death. Since then, I’ve not seen or heard of any,” the source said.
The source said he was not sure if this meant there have been no deaths, or whether the military had stopped informing families due to concern over public opinion. In January, after suffering heavy casualties, North Korean troops were reportedly withdrawn from the front line for a brief period.
Analysts say it is possible that the troops are still suffering casualties but that the regime is simply withholding the information.
“It is possible to interpret this silence as an effort by authorities to suppress internal discontent,” one expert said.
“Recently, many families received death notifications and public opinion is not good,” the person said. “Some parents are contacting local hospitals and military mobilization officials to try and prevent their children being sent to the military.”
We have been continuously investigating the deaths of soldiers dispatched to Russia since October. It has been found that at least ten families in Hyesan, Hoeryong, and Chongjin have lost their sons from last fall to early this year.
The authorities do not confirm the specific cause of death. The families are told their sons died in accidents during training or work as the country does not admit that it has dispatched combat soldiers to Russia.
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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