North Korean military police have launched a crackdown on soldiers who leave their bases without authorization. The operation, which began in mid-October, is targeting provincial cities including Pyongsong, Anju, Kaechon and Tokchon in South Pyongan province.
A source in the province told Daily NK recently that, “Soldiers wearing the characteristic armbands of the military police are being assigned in greater numbers than usual at marketplace entrances, vehicle parking lots, corners with heavy foot traffic and train station yards, as well as checkpoints on major roads. Apprehended soldiers are also frequently seen being led away by the military police.”
Pyongsong, Anju, Kaechon and Tokchon are transportation hubs with roads and railways leading to areas around the country. They are also the location of military units both large and small, such as the Pyongyang Defense Command, Wolli Airfield, the Light Infantry Guidance Bureau, the Roads Bureau, and the Engineering Bureau. In short, numerous soldiers are always moving about in these cities.
In principle, the North Korean military only allows soldiers to leave their post when they have specific orders such as executing a mission, transporting goods, moving formations or transporting the wounded. In such cases, they are issued a pass and placed under the guidance of a squad commander or officer.
But in reality, the source said, many soldiers move between bases and civilian areas without a pass, only verbal authorization from their unit commander.
“When supplies run low, soldiers in the lower ranks often have no choice but to visit private housing or local villages near where they are stationed,” the source explained. “Soldiers who leave their post to purchase supplies or perform similar tasks often travel long distances, staying out later than allowed and visiting areas other than those mentioned to their unit commander.
“Sometimes they’re visiting friends, relatives or supporters. Sometimes they’re frequenting marketplaces in distant areas,” the source added.
The North Korean military has emphasized on several previous occasions the need to eradicate unauthorized absences, along with other behaviors that undermine barracks discipline and military regulations. But those efforts have gained new urgency amid the recent tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The military police’s crackdown on soldiers leaving their post without a pass appears to be related to those tensions, too.
Meanwhile, unit commanders are actively helping soldiers evade military police detection when leaving base, directing them to areas with minimal MP presence. This behavior stems from commanders’ fear of the severe consequences of their soldiers being caught: investigations cascade through multiple command levels, requiring numerous meetings and self-criticisms, potentially damaging their careers.
The source noted a marked change in soldier-MP interactions – while MPs have increased their presence and visibility, today’s soldiers now flee from them rather than complying as they did in the past.
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
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