Failures of central rationing and equipment distribution to the military have

resulted in exacerbated disparities from region to region.

According to one Daily NK source, a quick

glance at a soldier’s uniform is sufficient to predict his or her region, or even unit.

The

source from the port city of Chongjin in North Hamkyung Province told Daily NK

on July 17th, “Soldiers get very uncomfortable because they are not getting the

appropriate uniforms for each season. That’s why fabric for military uniforms sells so well in the jangmadang [market].”

“These

uniforms make the soldiers look terrible. You wouldn’t know from looking at some of them whether they were kotjebi [homeless orphans] or members of the

military,” he remarked. “Nowadays, you even need money if you want to wear the

right uniform and do your military duty properly.”



In

principle, Chosun People’s Army (KPA) soldiers should be provided with two sets

of both summer and winter uniforms, in addition to essential toiletries, socks,

and undergarments. However, this stopped happening regularly during the Arduous

March of the 1990s, when the distribution of most types of rations ceased.

According

to the source, this state of affairs led some ordinary soldiers and most ranking

officers to go and buy the fabric to make uniforms for themselves. Of course, poorer

soldiers were obliged to either wear whatever they were given, or resort to

stealing.

This

situation, which continues today, created a niche market for the fabrics to make

military uniforms. According to the Daily NK source, the material for a

basic uniform costs 10-20 USD (at a black market exchange rate of 7,500 KPW/1

USD), while the material for ranking officers (unit commanders and higher) runs

at about 100 USD.

The

fabric used to make uniforms differs depending on rank. General uniforms are

made from Tetron, a polyester-rayon

blend that gives off a soft luster, whereas those of senior officers are made

from wool for a more refined look. Given that a kilogram of rice currently costs in the region of 5000 KPW, this means that even a general uniform can cost its wearer 15-30kg of rice.

Depending

on the region where a soldier is stationed, living conditions can vary

drastically. Border Guard units stationed areas near the Tumen and Amnok rivers

do relatively better, as do those with Escort Command and Capital Defense

Command in Pyongyang. The 4th Corps in South Hwanghae Province, 8th Corps in

North Pyongan Province, and 7th Corps in South Hamkyung Province are also relatively

desirable locations, as they are purported to come with better conditions.

“Parents

overwhelmingly prefer their offspring to be with the Border Guards,” the source

said. “This is generally because they can take bribes from smugglers and other

traders on the border and reap quite large sums of money. Within three years or

so they’ve got enough to get discharged, enter the Party, and build a life

for themselves.”



“Pyongyang

and parts of South Hwanghae Province have decent transportation and guarantee relatively

better living conditions, making parents feel relieved when their children are

stationed there,” he continued. “Some parents will present the Military

Mobilization Department [Military Manpower Administration in South Korea] with

bribes to get their children stationed in those areas.”



At

the other end of the spectrum are areas under the remit of the 2nd Corps in

North Hwanghae Province, and especially the 1st and 5th corps in Gangwon

Province, whose poor conditions have earned their members the name “Kotjebi Corps”, the source claimed.



Predictably, the

class stratum of regional placement within the military results in local spikes

in criminal activity by soldiers, Daily NK’s source revealed. For example, “The

night before the Party meeting to commemorate 20 years since the death of Kim

Il Sung, 3-4 soldiers from the 9th Corps in Chongjin assaulted a group of passing

soldiers and robbed them of the uniforms they were wearing and their personal

belongings.”

“The

Military Police has detain the offenders and placed them under interrogation,”

he reported. “Perpetrators usually admit to the crime, and will cite their desire for the victim’s uniform as the motivation.”