North Korean soldiers sent to Russia to earn foreign currency have been unable to return back home, despite having completed their full three years of service overseas.
A North Korean source in Russia told Daily NK on Apr. 1 that a North Korean soldier in his 20s, surnamed Choi – along with four other soldiers from the Seventh General Bureau – have not been allowed to return home. Their three year service in Russia ended a long time ago, but instead of returning home, they are involved in foreign currency earning activities.
In general, North Korea’s overseas workers are sent abroad for three years before others are sent to replace them. After the three years are up, the workers are supposed to return home to their original positions.
However, North Korea’s prolonged border closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the return of many workers living abroad. This is reportedly what happened to Choi and the four other soldiers.
Choi and the other soldiers were sent to Russia in 2018 before the outbreak of the pandemic. In principle, they should have returned back to North Korea in 2021. Although they were eligible for discharges from the military last year, ther discharge orders were delayed and they are still in Russia earning foreign currency for the North Korean government.
Some soldiers in similar positions have even tried to escape. According to the source, two soldiers from the Seventh General Bureau left their base in Moscow without permission in mid-March. They were subsequently apprehended by Ministry of State Security (MSS) officials.
During their interrogation, the two soldiers told the MSS officials that they went out to earn some extra money, but this failed to convince the authorities. The soldiers are currently being imprisoned on charges of attempting to defect.
“The first thing North Korean authorities consider when choosing soldiers to send abroad is whether or not an individual will run away while in a foreign country,” the source said, adding that, “Since soldiers are thoroughly armed politically and ideologically speaking, and because they have families back home, [the authorities] prefer them over regular workers.”
To the North Korean government, the most important thing when dispatching North Koreans abroad is loyalty to the ruling Workers’ Party and the Supreme Leader (Kim Jong Un). In addition, the families of soldiers sent abroad are used as hostages to make sure no defections take place. The logic is that, even though one’s thoughts or ideology may change, family is something much more permanent, and thus a much more powerful tool the government can use to prevent defections.
“There are soldiers in other units who have not been able to return home despite being old enough to be discharged from the military,” the source said. “But I also know that there are many soldiers who are considering escaping due to the long working hours that stretch into the night and poor pay, which is not even enough to buy cigarettes.”
According to a report submitted by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service to the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee in February 2021, North Korea has shortened mandatory military service periods for both North Korean men and women. For men, the service time has been shortened from “nine to 10 years” to “seven to eight years,” while for women it has been shortened to five years from the previous “six to seven years.”
Translated by Gabriela Bernal
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