North Korean authorities have launched a harsh crackdown to suppress rumors about their troops being captured in Ukraine, Daily NK has learned.
A military source told Daily NK recently that the General Political Bureau (GPB) and Military Security Command of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) issued an emergency joint order on Feb. 1. The directive, sent to political and security departments across military commands, headquarters, and training centers, called for “maximum inspections of mail between military bases and the public, and stern punishments for spreading rumors within KPA units.”
The emergency order came in response to a Jan. 23 report from counterintelligence departments in border provinces, including Ryanggang and North Hamgyong. Their written opinion to the Ministry of State Security warned that rumors about North Korean troop deployments to Russia were spreading rapidly among border residents, threatening social order.
After the Ministry reported these concerns to the ruling party, the Central Military Commission ordered the GPB and Military Security Command to take strong measures against the spread of information about both the troop deployment and captured soldiers.
The new directive labels such rumors as “fabrications resulting from enemy schemes to suffocate the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” and warns that “even the slightest spread or mention of such falsehoods” will be treated as treason.
“Political and security departments across the military are conducting intensive indoctrination, declaring these rumors as enemy scaremongering and instructing soldiers never to discuss them,” the source said. The order specifically targets liaison personnel who contact the public, promising severe punishment for spreading information about troop deployments or captured soldiers.
The military’s response makes it clear that they refuse to officially acknowledge either the Russian deployment or the capture of North Korean personnel.
The crackdown extends beyond military personnel to civilians. “The Ministry of State Security has designated soldiers’ families for special ideological inspection,” the source revealed. “Provincial branches must now monitor these families’ monthly movements and conduct ideological indoctrination when deemed necessary.” The order specifies that individuals may face punishment if authorities discover “ideological flaws.”
