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According to Western intelligence, more than ten thousand North Korean soldiers have already been sent to the Kursk region to counter Ukraine’s incursion into Russia.
On the long way there, they will see that even the more backward parts of Russia are much richer than their homeland. The provision is probably better than what they get at home, not to mention the salary.
“Many of the soldiers are simple rural peasant boys who are seeing the world for the first time. This will undoubtedly make them understand how isolated and poor their country is” – he said is a professor of history of Russian origin at Kookmin University in Seoul.
They inevitably ask why their country is not as rich as Russia
Andrei Lankov explained.
Survivors of the front may return home with thoughts that contradict the propaganda. The Pyongyang regime claims that North Korea is one of the happiest and most developed countries in the world.
According to those familiar with the situation, the soldiers would avoid expressing critical opinions even in front of their family and friends. North Korea’s secret police are notorious for treating any criticism as treason and retaliating with severe punishments.
“People have grown up knowing what not to do. They won’t be suicide heroes and won’t share their experiences,” says Lankov.
They are sitting on a plane for the first time
For years, the North Korean leadership has iron-fistedly closed off its people from all foreign ideas. The authorities crack down hard on anyone who watches foreign films or listens to foreign music, and jeans – as a symbol of the West – are outright banned. Those who try to escape to China face long prison terms – even though China is considered a friendly country.
Even wearing clothes or hairstyles that are considered foreign-influenced can serve as a pretext for an arrest.
In Russia, however, officers and pribs will be unable to completely isolate North Korean soldiers from outside influence, reminds the professor of international relations at Troy University’s Seoul campus. He recalled that according to some reports, North Korean soldiers were airlifted from Russian training centers in the Far East to near the front.
They may have chosen to fly simply because they didn’t want North Korean soldiers to see Russian cities from the train as they crossed the country
Dan Pinkston said.
He added that many North Korean soldiers must have boarded a plane for the first time.
Doubts may make sense with time
They will quickly realize how backward North Korea is, although officers will try to isolate them from the population to limit interactions, Pinkston said. It is almost certain that soldiers who survive and return from the war will undergo an assessment and possibly be sent to a re-education camp before being reintegrated into North Korean society.
The returning soldiers will be “strictly observed” – Lankov also agrees with this. However, they will be aware that if they talk about what they saw, it can be dangerous for them. Nevertheless, the experience is fixed in them.
It is not expected that they will immediately incite a revolution, but the “centurions serving on the Russian-Ukrainian front will be promoted to generals over time.”
Their doubts about the North Korean regime may gradually “make sense,” Andrey Lankov said.
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What strategies does the North Korean regime employ to manage the re-education of soldiers returning from exposure to foreign realities?
Thank you for arranging this interview. Today, we have with us Professor Andrei Lankov from Kookmin University in Seoul and Professor Dan Pinkston from Troy University’s Seoul campus. Thank you both for joining us today.
Interviewer: Professor Lankov, you mentioned in the article that North Korean soldiers may return home with thoughts that contradict the propaganda they have been exposed to. How exactly does the regime maintain control over their minds despite the exposure to the reality of Russia’s wealth and development?
Professor Lankov: Thank you for the question. The North Korean regime has been very successful in indoctrinating its citizens since childhood. They grow up knowing what to think and not to think. They are taught that Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are gods, and that North Korea is the happiest and most developed country in the world. The secret police are extremely vigilant and harsh towards any form of dissent. Even before going to Russia, soldiers are aware of the regime’s harsh punishments towards those who speak out against it. When they return, the regime will isolate them from the population and reintegrate them slowly, making sure they don’t share their experiences with anyone. However, the experience itself is unforgettable, and it could plant seeds of doubt that might grow over time.
Interviewer: Professor Pinkston, you suggest that North Korean soldiers will quickly realize how backward their country is when they interact with Russians and see Russian cities. How can the regime prevent this realization from taking root and potentially causing dissent among the soldiers?
Professor Pinkston: It’s nearly impossible for the regime to completely isolate the soldiers from the Russian population. They will interact with Russians during training and other military-related activities. Furthermore, many of them will be flying for the first time, which is a rare experience for North Koreans. The contrast between Russia and North Korea will be clear to them. However, the regime has strict control mechanisms in place. Upon returning, the soldiers will undergo re-education, and their interactions with the population will be closely monitored. The best way to keep them under control is to ensure that any doubts don’t connect to the regime itself. The soldiers understand that it’s the US and South Korea that pose a threat to their
