Ahead of autumn conscription in North Korea, cases of bribery aimed at helping young people evade military service have been reported one after another, prompting security agencies to launch a nationwide investigation. Against a backdrop of rumors about additional troop deployments to Russia, parents and relatives are reportedly trying to have names removed from conscription lists.
Ahead of the autumn conscription drive in North Korea, a series of cases have been reported in which young people and their families paid bribes to have their names removed from lists of those eligible for conscription. Local sources said the misconduct was occurring nationwide.
The background is anxiety over possible additional troop deployments to Russia. There have also been reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed North Korea plans to send as many as 50,000 troops. The reports are said to have heightened tensions on the ground.
Regarding the submission of conscription lists, each enterprise reportedly began submitting its list to military mobilization departments around the beginning of last month. Authorities reportedly mobilized security agencies to investigate from the end of July after finding that the numbers were lower than in typical years.
Those who accepted bribes could be treated as anti-party elements and face severe punishment, including revolutionary re-education, according to reports. Tensions in local communities are consequently rising.