A North Korean man who caught a soldier stealing peppers from his garden not only forgave the thief but promised to give him money, earning widespread praise in Ryanggang province.
A Daily NK source in the province said recently that an individual from Sinsang village “forgave a soldier of the border guard’s 25th Brigade whom he caught stealing peppers from his home garden, and even offered to give him money.” People who learned of this act praised it as “truly laudable.”
The incident occurred on Sept. 8 when the person discovered someone in the small garden behind his home where he grew chili peppers. Running outside after sensing a presence, he found a border guard soldier filling a burlap bag with ripe red peppers.
Rather than flee, the caught soldier explained his desperate situation. He “needed money to join the ruling party” and “had no choice (but to steal) for his career development.” Through tears, he begged the man not to report him to his company commanders.
The soldier’s plea reveals an open secret within North Korea’s military: advancement requires payment. Soldiers need to gather money for promotions or to obtain their party cards, as superior officers routinely demand bribes. To meet these demands, soldiers turn to their families, relatives, or resort to theft.
Understanding leads to unexpected mercy
The villager’s initial anger quickly transformed into sympathy as he watched the soldier’s earnest plea for forgiveness. Instead of scolding or reporting the theft, he offered something extraordinary: assistance.
“Come back in a few days, and I’ll give you some money after I dry and sell some peppers,” the man told the soldier.
The source explained that his response reflected deeper feelings about military service and sacrifice. “In the old days, he would have sworn at him and gone to his unit to report him, but the man took pity on the soldier, saying that in the army, people die trying to save people from drowning and sacrifice themselves on foreign battlefields.”
The individual specifically referenced a incident from several years ago when a North Korean soldier jumped into the Yalu River to rescue a drowning boatman. Though the rescue succeeded, the soldier died in the attempt.
More recently, the villager had been moved by commendation ceremonies for North Korean military personnel who fell in the Russia-Ukraine war. These experiences shaped his compassionate response to finding a desperate soldier in his garden.
The community’s reaction suggests the villager’s mercy struck a chord with widespread understanding of soldiers’ predicament. “Everyone expressed their sympathy as they learned of the incident, saying that soldiers don’t steal because they want to, that all armies steal nowadays, and that it was the state that raised its soldiers this way,” the source reported.
“Many people share this belief, but they can’t freely help because they don’t have the money, and upon hearing that the man forgave the thief and even pledged his help, they praised his act as ‘laudable,'” the source added.
The story highlights both the systemic corruption within North Korea’s military hierarchy and the occasional moments of human compassion that emerge despite harsh circumstances.
