[imText1]According to the inside sources, one day before the Second Inter-Korea Summit, the citizens in all of Yangkang and North Hamkyung have initiated the largest ever citizenry drill, which has evoked much interest as to the reason.
A source residing in Hoiryeong, North Hamkyung, in a phone conversation on the 1st, said that, “It is a drill for citizens along with Worker’s and Peasant’s Red Guard and Local Reserve Forces (Kyododae in Korean) who have been put on emergency alert from September 30th 7 p.m. to October 1st 12 p.m.”
According to the inside source, there was an unexpected emergency announcement from the authorities to commence training drills on the morning of September 30th.
The emergency drill training involves a range of activities from the emergency calls of Worker and Peasant Red Guard and Local Reserve Forces to searching, encampment, taking shelter to the mountain area, blackout drills by the citizenry, and hypothetical situational training, which are all checked and supervised.
The inside source said, “There is no siren or announcement like there has been in previous training drills. The Local Reserve Forces surround the entire area by 7 p.m. and the Red Guard begins their search training. The citizens execute their blackout, collect three days worth of meals (North Korea usually requires the citizens to carry around 3-7 days worth of meals during their training), and are moved to their designated shelters by the People’s Units in their the villages or companies. ”
Another source residing in Hyesan of Yangkang said, “On September 23rd and 24th, one day before the Chuseok holidays, there was a massive drill which included a citizenry anti-air-raid drill.”
This resource said that, “The blackout is being executed by all families. Carrying only minimum emergency provisions and meals from home, the drill requires for them to be taken to the nearby farming or mountain areas, about 15km outside the city.”
The South Korean intelligence authorities claimed that, “Although details regarding the drill execution have not been confirmed, the possibility seems high.”
North Korea executes fleeing drills in preparation for possible nuclear or chemical wars in December, when the military winter training begins, or during the agricultural off-season in July, requiring citizens to flee to nearby farms and mountainous areas. However, to have a massive citizen flee training in the end of September and the beginning of October prior to inter-Korea summit is an unusual event.
It is customary to not conduct citizenry drills during the spring sowing season or harvesting season in the Fall in North Korea. In North Hamkyung or Yangkang, the harvest is in full season so they are always in need of hands. In Yangkang, due to the harvest, even the “Revolutionary Site Visit” for the Kim family has been suspended.
The source in Hwoiryeong claimed that the citizens are very surprised by the sudden training. He even asked during the phone conversation, “Is there something problematic happening regarding the Inter-Korea Summit or the Six Party Talks?”
In North Korea, the citizens’ fleeing drill is being conducted at a time of military training. It is a general preparatory training for nuclear and chemical wars. Whether or not the North Korean army will participate in the training has not been confirmed.
It is also speculated that this training has arisen to prevent the citizens from expecting too much reform on foreign affairs from the Six Party Talks of from the Inter-Korea Summit.
One of the North Korean defectors who previously worked at the department in charge of South Korean intelligence claimed that, “This kind of flee training is unusual for massive actions conducted prior to an Inter Korea summit. Therefore, it means that the authorities want to show the Summit as an event not for cooperation with South Korea, but to show it as a strategy toward South Korea.”
