North Korean sources report that some military bases are receiving improvements in their food supplies.
Soldiers in North Korea have long been provided poor food supplies, which has generally consisted of corn and rice, salted radish and soybean paste soup with dried radish leaves. Even such low-quality food has been scarce and many soldiers suffer from malnutrition.
The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB)’s 2018 North Korean Human Rights White Paper states that 5.6% of food-related human rights violations in the country occurred on military bases.
A Daily NK source in South Hwanghae Province reported on August 28 that “the quantity and diversity of food given to soldiers in South Hwanghae Province has increased.”
South Hwanghae Province has a large concentration of North Korean military bases as it is relatively close to the western sector of the 38th Parallel. Most areas with large concentrations of military units are on the frontlines on the west coast of the country.
“The area has a greater number of soldiers than civilians, so it’s easy to understand the conditions on the bases,” said the source. “The amount of corn provided has increased by about 50%, and there’s a wider variety of side dishes, with some made using vegetables grown near the bases and locally-made kimchi.”
The increase in the selection of ingredients available at the bases on the frontlines has been driven by greater productivity from other military bases. “The overall production has increased because military bases away from the frontlines allow individuals to take the excess from the set quotas,” the source said.
Moreover, military bases operate their own farms, which has helped increase the quantity of food generally available.
“The farms grow beans and raise goats. This allows the bases to provide a wide variety of food made out of beans to their soldiers, including tofu, pureed soybean soup, and beansprouts,” a source in Kangwon Province said.
“The bases in the rear provide mushrooms and other vegetables so the food situation at the forward bases has improved a lot.”
The improvements are thought to be related to an order by Kim Jong Un to improve soldiers’ food provisions and his frequent on-the-spot visits to military bases.
Kim Jong Un’s continued purging of high-ranking military officials, including stripping them of their Party credentials or removing them from positions, may have also led to a change in attitude by senior military figures. The frequency in which military officials steal supplies is likely to have decreased following Kim’s stern warning against corruption on military bases.
“It appears that the decrease in corruption by officials who stole military supplies and food may have been a major factor,” a separate source in South Hwanghae Province sais.
“The clothing and supply situation has improved compared to the past and soldiers don’t fight with each other as much about getting military uniforms.”
According to a separate source based in Kwangwon Province, the bases receive pork on national holidays, according to the source. “On Army Foundation Day in February, the soldiers were happy because they got meat soup. Bases that have good supply lines to food receive meat about once a month,” he said.
Whether these levels of food provision to the military bases will continue is unclear. The worsening economic situation due to international sanctions and this year’s poor agricultural harvest may threaten the food supplies being provided to the military.
There is also a major gap in what the North Korean military is able to provide to its soldiers compared to the South Korean military.
The South Korean Ministry of Defense reportedly has a budget of 1.6 trillion won for food provisions in 2018, up 5% from last year. Each soldier is provided with food worth 7,880 won per day. The South Korean military has expanded base menus to include South Korean beef, or “hanu,” beef ribs, and abalone, while oranges from Jeju Island and grapes have recently been added to the fruit menu. Soldiers also have free access to a brunch menu, which includes spaghetti and sandwiches.
