Recently, Kim Jong-un not only proposed a “Two Hostile States Theory” that denies national unity and reunification, but he also amended the constitution to solidify this sentence.
He has not only built anti-tank barriers and planted mines in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to block escape routes but has also demolished symbols of inter-Korean cooperation, such as the Donghae and Gyeongui railway lines, creating instability on the Korean Peninsula.
Though Kim Jong-un attempts to seal the borders with the idea of “locking people up forever,” he fails to realize that his betrayal of his predecessors’ teachings only deepens the isolation of the regime and increases the suffering of its people.
During my time in the military, I personally endured the hardships of severe food shortages and the crushing weight of daily survival.
The whole world is aware that North Korean citizens are suffering from severe food shortages due to repeated floods and economic hardships under Kim Jong-un’s abnormal rule.
The situation within the North Korean military is no different. There is no rice in the military rations, and meals are limited to corn and wheat, sometimes amounting to just three to four spoonfuls.
The only side dishes are salted radishes and cabbage, leading to widespread malnutrition and a rise in illnesses such as hepatitis.
Each year, more soldiers suffer from declining health due to poor nutrition.
North Korean soldiers are also exposed to extreme conditions with inadequate clothing.
Soldiers from the Jangmadang Generation dance to K-pop and enjoy South Korean clothing and mannerisms, reflecting the reality within North Korea today.
Throughout their mandatory ten-year military service, soldiers receive a maximum of three sets of uniforms. 3 Ill-fitting shoes are common, and due to a lack of proper clothing supplies, many soldiers resort to stealing civilian clothes to survive.
Soldiers wear a haphazard mix of clothes, making them appear ragtag. Such poor conditions have driven some soldiers to the point of death.
External information shocks soldiers enduring these harsh military conditions. North Korean authorities strictly educate soldiers not to look at or touch anti-regime leaflets, claiming they are coated with poison.
However, it is impossible to shield soldiers completely from the truth. I too, have seen the contents of these leaflets, which revealed the luxurious lives of the Kim family.
What began as skepticism turned into a deep sense of betrayal as I realized the leader had deceived the people.
Young soldiers are especially sensitive to these leaflets and broadcasts.
Those born after 1990, the generation who lived through North Korea’s worst food crisis and grew up in the unofficial markets, known as the “Jangmadang Generation,” now make up a significant portion of the military.
For them, survival and overcoming hunger are top priorities, and loyalty to the state is naturally weak.
In July, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense resumed broadcasting anti-regime messages, and within a month, a North Korean citizen defected by walking across the border.
In response, North Korean authorities transmitted bizarre sounds to block these broadcasts and even issued earplugs to frontline soldiers.
They also launched a campaign of sending “garbage balloons” southward, claiming it as a self-defensive measure, yet blaming South Korea for military tension.
Just as East Germans toppled the Berlin Wall, the day will come when the young soldiers’ yearning for freedom and resistance will tear down the walls Kim Jong-un has so carefully built.
Despite these efforts, young soldiers, who already know the truth, are not easily deceived.
Soldiers from the Jangmadang Generation dance to K-pop and enjoy South Korean clothing and mannerisms, reflecting the reality within North Korea today.
In the future, the Jangmadang Generation will become the mainstay across all areas of North Korean society. No matter what measures Kim Jong-un takes to correct the ideology of these young soldiers or block the influx of South Korean culture into the military, he will never fully control them.
Some even refer to the Jangmadang Generation as a “major opposition party” against the Workers’ Party.
We must continue to provide North Korean soldiers with information on the luxurious lifestyles of the Kim family, the corruption of the elites, the real differences in living conditions between the two Koreas, and possible escape routes.
Just as East Germans toppled the Berlin Wall, the day will come when the young soldiers’ yearning for freedom and resistance will tear down the walls Kim Jong-un has so carefully built.
(Kim Min-hyuk is a former North Korean Military Officer who served in Gangwon Province as a soldier and defected in search of freedom in 2020 and is now living in South Korea).
Comment