The North Korean authorities are maintaining tense conditions in the country through ongoing military exercises and calls for civilian participation in air defense and patrol measures.
A North Hamkyung Province source told Daily NK on the 26th, “Early on the morning of the 18th local PSM (People’s Safety Ministry) officers visited factories, enterprises and people’s units personally to host lectures where they made sure people understand that ‘the current preparation for combat readiness status is an emergency situation no different to a quasi-state of war’.”
“When an emergency alert like this is handed down, the reserve military and Worker and Peasant Red Guard divide into their units and must take orders from their base leaders,” he explained. “They order people’s units to evacuate at the sound of a sirens, and when evacuation orders are withdrawn they are required to organize nighttime patrols.”
A Yangkang Province source corroborated the story, saying, “Soldiers, including reserves and Worker and Peasant Red Guards, have been living in tunnels since the 21st with food for a week. They aren’t allowed out, and during the day they have defense training exercises in the tunnels.” Those not directly participating in the training are attending their workplaces as normal, she said, but dressed in military uniform to convey a state of readiness.
In addition, military service periods have been extended across the board, meaning that entry into educational institutions for those leaving the military has been cancelled. Elsewhere, the second source explained, “The slogan calling upon young people to ‘join the sacred war to safeguard the homeland’ has been put up to encourage people to enlist.”
The Central Party has also organized a unit to check regional readiness and compliance with the rules. The North Hamkyung Province source noted, “They’ve been auditing units since the 25th to check on civilian military strength. The 15-strong Central Party team is checking on everything, from air defense shelters to the state of weapon stores and overall emergency draft status.” The process is expected to continue until March 5th.
The source continued, “Emergency and chemical warfare supplies like masks and glasses have been checked, and the authorities are encouraging households to give 10kg of corn to the military.”
The enforced tension is coming at a cost, of course, with cases of frostbite on the rise and economic activities undermined.
North Korea’s state media has yet to broadcast anything about a quasi-state of war. It is believed that this is more likely to take place when the next UN resolution goes into effect. North Korea declared a similar status in 1976 after the ‘Panmunjom Axe Murder Incident,’ and again in 1993 when withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
