North Korea has categorized discharged military officers as “No. 27” beneficiaries eligible for special treatment by the government following a 2020 law to improve their living conditions.<\/p>\n
Daily NK recently obtained the enforcement regulations for the Act for Guaranteeing the Living Conditions of Discharged Officers, which was adopted as cabinet decision No. 83 on August 23, 2020.<\/p>\n
The enforcement regulations, divided into six chapters and 29 articles, repeatedly designate discharged officers as No. 27 beneficiaries throughout the document.<\/p>\n
Article 9 of the enforcement regulations states: “Planning of residential construction under Article 13, Paragraph 1, of the law shall be handled by the state planning organization and the provincial people’s committee. These plans should designate the homes as No. 27 benefits.”<\/p>\n
It continues: “Municipal and county people’s committees shall assess residential demand for discharged officers in the area. That demand shall be submitted to the provincial people’s committee as No. 27 benefits, and the provincial people’s committee shall then submit that to the state planning organization.”<\/p>\n
Article 11 further stipulates that “Construction companies are required to consult with the department of the provincial, municipal or county people’s committee responsible for No. 27 beneficiaries before inspecting the completed homes.”<\/p>\n
“No. 27 beneficiaries are individuals who receive special consideration from the state. This category includes not only discharged officers but also certain individuals who have left positions at specific state organizations,” a source in North Korea explained.<\/p>\n
North Korea apparently classifies people who have served as military officers or performed special missions as No. 27 beneficiaries and provides them with special housing and living conditions. The enactment of the Act for Guaranteeing the Living Conditions of Discharged Officers seems designed to ensure these former officers receive this special attention.<\/p>\n
The enforcement regulations detail provisions for discharged officers that extend beyond housing to include everyday items, food, and firewood.<\/p>\n
Article 18 states: “Planning under Article 27 of this act shall be handled as follows: the central commercial guidance body and the provincial, municipal or county people’s committee and commercial company will first calculate discharged officers’ requirements for everyday items and firewood according to the supply standards and then inform the state planning organization of the state indicators and inform people’s committees at each level of the regional indicators for these No. 27 beneficiaries.”<\/p>\n
The regulations further specify that “The state planning organization and the provincial people’s committee must communicate plans for producing, supplying, and distributing the needs stipulated for No. 27 beneficiaries according to the units responsible for indicators and in line with production.”<\/p>\n
These provisions confirm that discharged officers are officially categorized as No. 27 beneficiaries within North Korea’s system.<\/p>\n