North Korea recently increased the number of years military officers must live in Pyongyang to receive local citizenship from 30 years to 35 years, leading to frustration among those affected by the new rule, a Daily NK source in Pyongyang reported on Tuesday.
Following North Korean leader Kim Jong Un mention of “improving the living standards in Pyongyang” at a politburo meeting on Apr. 11, the country began efforts to evict certain residents from the city.
The new rule regarding Pyongyang citizenship for discharged military officers was also handed down in April as part of the “Act regarding the Guarantee of Living Conditions for Discharged Military Officers.” The timing has led to speculation that even members of the military, considered a vital component to protecting the regime, are being targeted by measures that aim to reduce the number of residents in the capital.
Department 8 of the Ministry of Social Security and the Cadre Department in the Ministry of People’s Armed Forces (MPAF) did not start implementing the act until Aug. 1, according to the source.
Based on the source’s report, a substantial number of discharged military officers and their families stand to be sent to areas outside Pyongyang. In the past, officers could receive Pyongyang citizenship after serving in the capital for 30 years, but now even those who have served for 34 years and 11 months will be forced to return to their hometowns or other regions with their families.
The source explained that since only a very small number of officers meet the new requirement, the order is essentially an “eviction measure.” Serving for 35 years is only possible if a 25-year-old officer began his career at a “military headquarters” (such as the MPAF, General Political Bureau, General Staff Department or the Ministry of State Security) or another “command-level unit” and was never assigned to a position outside the capital.
The source suggested that the latest order further reveals the fact that North Korean authorities are unable to provide rations to Pyongyang citizens any longer. Daily NK reported in June that in the three months prior to July – including on the anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s death on July 8 – municipal authorities were unable to “properly” provide rations to ordinary Pyongyangites.
Officers affected by the new rule are disgruntled with the decision, claiming that it is essentially an eviction order for those “who have been living in Pyongyang without [local] citizenship.” Having lived with their families in the capital for more than 30 years, they are now being driven out overnight, the source said, commenting on the general prevailing mood among those affected.
The source speculated that the measure could lead to a spate of divorces. Some women with Pyongyang citizenship may be reluctant to accompany husbands originally from other regions.
The source further speculated that the order could lead to decreased loyalty toward the regime among the affected military officers. “After dedicating their lives to serving their country, the military officers, as well as the families who have supported them, feel a sense of futility and betrayal,” the source said, adding that there have been widespread complaints toward the measure.
Officials in regions outside of Pyongyang have reportedly made clear they will “look after” the military officers based on a statement by Kim Jong Un that the level of “social treatment for discharged officers should be increased.” These local authorities appear to have been ordered to pay special attention to soldiers forced to leave Pyongyang and placate them as best they can.
The source told Daily NK, however, that “since we are in a situation where everyone has to fend for themselves, it’s obvious that these local authorities will subtly pressure the discharged officers to make their own way.”
Ultimately, there will be a lot of officers left with “no place to turn” because they have been abandoned by officialdom and will fail to adjust to the country’s growing marketization, he added.
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