North Korea has stepped up army recruitment and called on former soldiers to re-enlist to bolster its ground forces ahead of the traditional joint military exercise between South Korea and the US, according to sources inside the country
Washington and Seoul are scheduled to begin their biggest ever military manoeuvres across the border on 7 March, involving 15,000 US troops and 249,000 South Korean Troops – double the number of previous years.
A source from South Pyongan province inside NORTH Korea said a petition opposing the joint South Korean-US exercises has been circulating across the country, with mass meetings organised in the provinces and the capital.
The claims came as DPRK leader Kim Jong-un said his country should be ready to use nuclear weapons “at any time” because of growing threat from its enemies. The statement appeared to be a response to new sanctions imposed by the UN security council after North Korea’s recent nuclear test and rocket launch.
The North Korean source, who cannot be named for security reasons, said the regime has ordered all youth from secondary school up to university level to sign up, and has made clear that all those under 40 who have been discharged get back in uniform.
A similar call was issued by the National Defence Commission, with the provincial military mobilization units interviewing workers who meet the requirements for re-enlistment. Those selected for service have now been placed on stand-by.
“Only those who have a missing person – or are an inmate at a kyohwaso [re-education camps, which also function as prisons] – among their family members are exempted,” the source said.
North Korea’s central news agency has reported that recruitment in response to the call had already reached 1.5 million, but a source in Ryanggang Province said that this did not represent the full reality.
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