It was belatedly reported that North Korea’s Ministry of State Security is conducting a summons and investigation of border guard soldiers suspected of defecting residents who were forcibly repatriated by Chinese authorities in October last year. Internal sources revealed that the Ministry of State Security is expanding the investigation into the forced repatriation of North Korean residents to the border guards and summoning soldiers involved to conduct a thorough investigation.
According to a North Korean source in the NK Times on the 26th, the Ministry of State Security has been investigating illegal activities by border guard soldiers in North Hamgyong Province and Ryanggang Province since mid-January.
Soldiers are suspected of helping people who were forcibly repatriated escape from North Korea. The investigation involved not only active-duty soldiers but also soldiers whose names were listed in the affidavits confessed during the National Security Agency investigation by residents who were forcibly repatriated to North Korea in October of last year. It is known that even discharged soldiers are being summoned for face-to-face interviews.
In fact, on the 8th, about 30 soldiers from the division of the 27th Border Guard Brigade stationed in North Hamgyong Province were summoned to the Ministry of State Security’s inspection group (small organization) for investigation.
Some of these soldiers have not yet returned to their units, even though the investigation period has been over 15 days. For this reason, soldiers who are about to be discharged are said to be continuing their military service in anxiety, feeling anxious as they do not know when they will be summoned to the Ministry of State Security’s inspection group.
A source related to this said, “This investigation is based on the statements of people who crossed over to China and were caught, and are conducting a thorough face-to-face investigation into when, where, and through whom they crossed over at the time of their (North Korea defection),” adding, “The soldiers initially denied it, but were caught. He said, “The number of soldiers who are admitting the truth is increasing by comparing the dates on which people (North Song residents) confessed and their work logs at the time.”
He went on to explain, “Some say that the soldiers caught this time will be sent to (political prison) management centers depending on how many people were handed over, and some are even saying that those who handed over 30 people will be publicly shot, so everyone is engulfed in an atmosphere of fear.” .
North Korea’s Ministry of State Security monitors, detects, and punishes illegal activities by border guard soldiers every year. Nevertheless, illegal activities to make money, such as illegal smuggling and assisting North Korean defectors, did not end within the border guards.
Therefore, the Ministry of National Security interprets this investigation as an intention to eliminate the causes of crime chronically inherent within the border guard and further strengthen border security based on the statements of North Korean residents.
In relation to this, an actual source said, “Through this investigation by the Ministry of State Security, the most serious point was made that the soldiers of the National Guard forgot their duty and sense of duty to protect the border and did not hesitate to use any means to make money.” “It seems that the guards are trying to break the chronic bad habit of making money by showing that if they help defectors from North Korea, they will be exposed at any time and will definitely be punished,” he explained.
At the same time, he said, “The reason why illegal activities are rampant within the border guard is due to the authorities not properly guaranteeing the soldiers’ convenience of living.” He added, “Nevertheless, the authorities are showing a pitiful behavior by dispatching the Ministry of National Security and placing all responsibility on the soldiers of the border guard. “He pointed out.
Meanwhile, the source added that most of the residents who were repatriated to North Korea in October of last year were investigated by the end of December of the same year and were sent to management centers, while a very small number were sent home.
***This article was translated by Guggul and may differ from the content of this article.
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