Posted on 02/06/2007 10:34:47 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
[a source from inside N. Korea] 20 guards from Hoiryong area...'shoot-on-sight' authorized
[2007-02-04 18:26 ]
According to a source inside N. Korea on Feb. 4, a platoon of border guards in Hoiryong area escaped to China recently to avoid arrest by inspection gruppa(note: group; team) from Central Party which are inspecting Sino-N. Korean border area, and N. Korean tracking squads are dispatched into China to capture them.
Lee Jung-sam(alias,) a Hoiryong resident who has inside knowledge on (N. Korean) border guards, said in the afternoon of Feb. 4, "About 20 border guards from Hoiryong area escaped to China. Joint tracking squads from Security Command and State Security Dept. were immediately sent to China."
The source said, "Guards were implicated in condoning illegal border crossing(i.e., escaping N. Korea) during Central Party's inspection. They are not from the same unit but sergeants from many guard posts."
He said, "Escaped guards are connected to a guard post chief and a deputy platoon leader who are to be executed in late February."
The guards who escaped to China are mostly unarmed, and the joint tracking squads went into action in close coordination with Chinese security and intelligence.
The source added, "Since the escaped guards may try to go to S. Korea, they are authorized to shoot them on sight if they resist arrest."
The joint tracking squads are expanding their search area in China to include Changbai area which borders on Hyesan, Yanggang Province, and Jian which is next to Manpo, Jagang Province.
According to N. Korea-related sources inside China, a few of escaped guards are now in Chinese custody, and they have not yet been sent back to N. Korea. China is conducting investigation on them now.
The Joint Inspection Team from Central Party is tasked to root out illegal activities by border guards who condoned and abetted escape of civilians across the river(border.) They conducted stringent investigation on those involved.
Up to now, border guards allowed the escape of civilians in exchange for bribes. 'The drive to make one million won(about $1,000) while in service' gained traction among guards, as a way to avoid going back to poverty after their discharge. Recently, with the declining value of N. Korean currency, it has now become 'the drive to make three million won(current value $1,000) while in service.'
The sources in China said, "Security officers at border region, guard post chiefs, and officers routinely spend dollars or Renminbi. Some of them made over $10,000."
Condoning escapes by border guards has been orchestrated by officers such as security officer sat battalion level or guard post chiefs, and sergeants were doing it for less money, which raised the risk of exposure.
[Han Young-jin (originally from Pyongyang, came to S. Korea in 2002,) Kim Young-jin reporting from Changbai, China]
This is probably why 120 people could escape from a gulag last year. To smuggle in steel saws and secure get-away vehicles most likely require inside help, which only lots of money could take care of.
According to an analysis from The Daily NK, the breakdown of state system in early and mid 90's, after which a pervasive food chain of bribes rose in late 90's and replaced the previous system. It has its own dynamic and got the society running up to now. However, its allegiance is not toward Kim Jong-il. As such, it is the threat to Kim Jong-il regime. His crackdown on corruption is to root out such a challenge. That is, if this food chain of corruption is allowed to get bigger, it could get out of Kim's control and become a separate power bloc, and he could lose power.
Ping!
Good work, TigerLikesRooster. BTTT!
N. Korea: 120 Prisoners Escaped from a Gulag (Real life Stalag-17)
Good luck to these guys!
orchestrated by officers such as security officer sat at battalion level or guard post chiefs
According to an analysis from The Daily NK, there was the breakdown of state system in early and mid 90's...
From the article, it seems that they fled merely because they were corrupt.
Capitalism at work even in the most communistic of states.
The government can't allow that, it must be stamped out.
Good. I hope they get away. I pray they get away from the cruelty and the evil. I will never forget the article I read about a woman being returned to N. Korea by the Chinese and having a sharpened steel cable put through her hand by the sadistic, sick N. Korean guard to lead her away.
LMAO
SO in other word this be first time regime get change because people are hungry
Their superiors had issues with sharing.
Who knows. But even if corruption was the guards' sole motive, thank God in this case for corruption. It gave some people a chance to escape a living nightmare. So I repeat: Good luck to these guys.
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