Two armed members of the North Korean border patrol who fled to China due to hunger were caught in January, Daily NK has belatedly learned. Defections among border guards have been a frequent occurrence due to the COVID-19 border blockade.
During a Mar. 15 call with Daily NK, a source based in China reported that “the river in Wiwon, Chagang Province, was covered in ice as of mid-January due to the bitter cold,” and that “two border guards deserted their posts and crossed the Yalu River into China.”
The source also mentioned that “the [guards] deserted with their guns,” and that “they tried to sneak into a Chinese village across the Yalu River and loot abandoned houses.”
Wiwon County is located near the border between North Korea and China and the width of the Yalu River in the area can get very short. Moreover, the guards’ familiarity with the surveillance system likely made it easier for them to cross the river undetected.
“Locals who spotted the North Korean soldiers carrying their weapons initially thought that they were Chinese soldiers but reported the men when they noticed their suspicious behavior,” the source said. “They were caught two days after they arrived in China.”
The men were armed when they deserted their posts, but reportedly did not cause any other problems while in China.
“The North Korean soldiers who came to China were 18 and 19 years old,” the source said. “Hunger was later determined as the reason they deserted their post.”
North Korean border guards have generally been better off than soldiers in other regions because they can turn a blind eye to smugglers or people crossing the border in return for bribes. The closure of the Sino-North Korean border, however, has made it much harder to obtain such bribes.
The situation for the two young low-ranking soldiers, who were recently assigned to the area, was reportedly more difficult when compared to that of higher ranking soldiers.
“When the Chinese public security bureau [police] tried to hand over the deserters to North Korea following their investigation, the soldiers pleaded for them not to be sent back,” the source said, adding, “They expressed fear that they would starve to death if they returned to North Korea.”
According to the source, the soldiers never talked about being executed by firing squad or any other punishment if they were to return to North Korea. “Given their extreme fear of starvation, the food situation within the North Korean military seems to be at its worst in years,” he added.
Getting enough to eat is not a new issue among members of North Korea’s border patrol. Cases of soldiers deserting to China, engaging in smuggling, or raiding private homes to find food are a frequent occurrence.
These problems are caused by the failure of the North Korean authorities to solve the military’s food shortages. That being said, there has been no sign of the food situation improving over the last several years.
The Chinese police tried to repatriate the soldiers, but North Korea refused to accept their extradition fearing that they would import COVID-19 into the country.
“Chinese authorities tried to hand over the deserters from [where they were located] in Dandong to North Korea but were rejected,” the source said. “The North Korean authorities said that they cannot allow North Koreans to enter the country from China.”
This suggests that the North Korean government is not allowing people to enter the country due to COVID-19 prevention measures.
In fact, North Korea is also delaying the return of North Korean workers and the repatriation of defectors currently located in China over fears about COVID-19.
“The North Korean authorities asked [the Chinese] to transfer the deserters after the border blockade is lifted,” the source told Daily NK, adding, “The soldiers are currently being held in a prison in Dandong.”
*Translated by S & J
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