We Crossed the Border As Our Lives Were Threatened
[imText1]On the 12th, Japan’s Asahi TV interviewed two North Korean border guards who successfully defected from North Korea to a neighboring village in China.
On the 4th, the DailyNK reported that 1 platoon of border guards from the district of Hoiryeong had defected to China, and that secret agents had been sent to China in search of arrest.
Following the report, Asahi TV sent correspondents to the border regions of North Korea and China where they were able to meet two of the defected border guards.
In order to protect the defectors, the time of escape and their identity was not revealed.
First, the defected guards showed the correspondent the North Korean military uniforms which they had worn in North Korea. “In North Korea, this military uniform is called a tiger’s skin. As long as you are wearing this coat, no one can touch you” he said explaining the hierarchical privilege and status of the People’s Army.
When asked on which path the guards had taken, they revealed “We came through the mountains. It was really hard. It took about 2 days.”
For what reasons did they defect? “We smuggled stuff through the border patrols. Even if someone asked for a woman, we sometimes engaged in human traffic. By doing this, we earned about 20,000 won a year. The border patrols have just begun investigations. We crossed over to China as we would be killed (if caught)” they said and confessed that they had committed felony.
The guards revealed that in 2005 they had visited a place in Hoireyong where public executions were conducted against persons charged with “human traffic.” Human traffic is also considered a serious felony in North Korea and thus the punishment is also severe. It seems that the defected guards had been threatened with execution in the case their crimes were discovered.
※ Following is a part of Asahi TV’s report
In 2005, scenes of felony committed by North Korean border guards were captured in the Chinese districts opposite Hoiryeong. This footage captured a young soldier crossing the river towards China.
The solder placed the documents he was holding on the edge of the river and returned back to North Korea. This soldier was acting as the contact between Chinese smuggling agents.
Furthermore, the defected guards said “The investigations were started under the notion that these kinds of ‘acts’ could not occur in the hometown of the great Leader’s mother-that is Hoiryeong. We escaped, as we thought that it would be better than to be caught and killed in North Korea.”
Another defected border guard testified, “99% of border guards participate in illicit trade. In a year, I earned about 25,000won. I was saving up to use the money when I was discharged from the military.”
In other words, earning about 20,000won in a year greatly exceeds the annual income of average North Korean labors.
He said “With money, we can solve everything. North Korea is already a capitalist society. What is socialism?”
