Two soldiers escape, one arrested in home invasion attempt

Earlier this month, three armed soldiers
broke into a civilian home and two fled the site after a failed home invasion
attempt in Pungsan County, Ryanggang Province. The remaining soldier was
arrested on site, Daily NK has learned.

“Three
soldiers from the 12th Brigade, 43rd Corps, broke into a civilian home and
threatened the inhabitants with weapons while trying to steal their
possessions. But they ran off after security agents were alerted,” a source
from the province told Daily NK in a telephone conversation. “One of the
soldiers was apprehended, but the remaining two ran back to their base.”

This news was corroborated by additional sources in Ryanggang Province.

Civilian patrol members who were policing
the area detected odd behavior and quickly reported it to local Ministry of People’s Security [MPS] agents
who stormed the site, preventing any serious harm, reported the source.
 

Violent crimes perpetrated by soldiers have
been on the rise, prompting residents to organize their own patrol units to
deal with such incidents. However, it has only had limited results in
preventing soldiers from the so-called “People’s Army” from committing violent crimes
against civilians, the source explained.
 

The soldier who was arrested on site was
also immediately handed over to his base. According to the source, although the MPS  is well aware the military will not appropriately penalize those
involved, if they claim responsibility, the agents have no choice but to send
the soldiers back to base.
 

This dire situation can be traced back to
the era of Kim Jong Il, during which heavy priority was given to the military.
Kim Jong Il at the time was said to have ordered strong punishment for
“civilian pillaging” but would simultaneously emphasize the importance of
keeping the troops well fed. Soldiers who attempted to steal from people out of
hunger would therefore only face light consequences.
 

This practice has not substantially changed
under Kim Jong Un’s regime. While there have been orders to “improve material
supplies and culture in soldiers’ daily lives to ensure they can perform their
duties and enhance relationships between the military and civilians,” without
specific measures put in place, tangible changes will prove elusive.
 

“The state does not provide enough food for
the soldiers, so they resort to stealing from civilians to fill their
stomachs,” the source explained, asserting that robbery and home invasions are
an indirect way of soldiers expressing their frustration at the lack of action
taken by the state to improve their living conditions.
 

Soldiers from the 43rd Corps have mostly
targeted Pungsan and Pungso counties, as they are rural areas and less heavily
protected by law enforcement. “They’ve broken into people’s homes and stolen
televisions, batteries, bicycles, cattle, and other assets,” the source added.

Residents have been frightened and angered
by these recent developments and have expressed frustration at the ineptitude
of law enforcement in bringing the perpetrators to justice.