Confession under severe torture
The border guards are responsible for guarding the 1,400-kilometer border between North Korea, China and Russia. However, since last year, the Korean People's Army (North Korean Army) special unit "Storm Corps" (11th Corps) has been dispatched to strengthen border security.
This is to thoroughly block the borders, which was strictly ordered by General Secretary Kim Jong-un as a measure to prevent the influx of the new coronavirus.
Not only are the border guards unable to effectively crack down on smuggling and North Korean defections due to local ties, but they are even actively helping and complicit in them. Therefore, the special forces that had no connection with the local area were singled out.
However, the violent and trouble-making Blast Corps has a bad reputation. Not only that, there are even those who escape North Korea or commit illegal acts, captivated by the prosperity of China across the river. They got into trouble again. A daily NK internal source in Hamkyung North Province (Ham Kyung Buk) reported.
The time was December 17th of last year, the anniversary of General Secretary Kim Jong Il's death. Members of a security group of the Storm Corps stationed in Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province, were arrested en masse. The suspicion is that he helped a family escape from North Korea by crossing a river.
When an important political event is held, there is a solemn atmosphere in the country, but border security is weak. Aiming for it, a North Korean defector broker and three of his family members crossed the river and successfully escaped to China. The ones who beckoned were the storm corps military officer (officer) and a low-ranking soldier (private).
They crossed the river avoiding as much as possible the areas where the guard posts (monitoring towers) and surveillance cameras were installed, but the incident was discovered when the defector broker returned to North Korea. bottom.
The command of the Storm Corps, which was unable to detect the movement of the North Korean defection in advance, became suspicious that the military officers and low-ranking soldiers were wandering around outside their area of responsibility, so they were arrested and severely tortured. , allegedly withdrew a confession.
Until now, they have become gangsters with North Korean defectors, helping residents escape from North Korea one after another. was earning A North Korean soldier suffering from poverty and hunger would have a hard time resisting such a temptation.
In addition, the two did not allow anyone to escape from North Korea, but rather chose only those who were less likely to be caught in China, where they escaped from, and were less likely to become a problem, showing their caution in letting them escape. It is said that the three family members who defected this time also have relatives in China. The two should have pulled out because they made as much money as they could, but they were arrested when they tried to make more money out of their greed.
The family of three who had escaped from North Korea had been forced into serious financial hardships due to the corona isolation that had continued since January last year. It is said that he gave up on North Korea because there was no more hope, borrowed a large amount from an acquaintance, paid a broker, and fled across the border.
The Storm Command and the Ministry of State Security (secret police) conducted a thorough investigation to see if there were any other people who were complicit in this incident, and the personnel of the battalion that the two people who caused the incident belonged to It was decided to replace all the soldiers of the 7 Corps.
In response to the incident in October last year in which a family of four escaped from North Korea after giving sleeping pills to a border guard officer, General Secretary Kim Jong-un said, "Even if you spend millions of dollars, you can rebel against the nation. Arrest them unconditionally and punish them severely as an example." The Ministry of State Security dispatched personnel to China and succeeded in arresting them.
On the other hand, it is not known if Kim Jong-un made any reference to this incident, but it is said that the local security department is helpless and gnashing its teeth. Because he did not take the national budget and is not suspected of being a spy, he cannot request the cooperation of the Chinese public security authorities. Even if China receives a request from North Korea, it is reported that it is not very cooperative.
In addition, the storm corps stationed in the border area will withdraw as soon as the construction of concrete walls (specifically, concrete pillars and fences) and high-voltage electric current to prevent smuggling and defection is completed. It was supposed to happen. However, the construction has not been completed until now, even though it was scheduled to be completed in October last year.