＜Inside N.Korea＞ Celebrating Mood in Pyongyang Is Propaganda, High Alert Is Reality

2017.04.25

Q: How is the drill going on?

- Surveillance by turns in trenches. The reserve army dig the trenches and live there. Sometimes they can’t go back home. I think this is more serious than the previous preparation for the quasi state of war (the North Korean government put on alert after the nuclear test on February 2013). Even though the members of reserve army are mostly factory laborers, they are ordered to continue drills, not allowed to go back to their factories as the situation is so serious. Anti aircraft guns with live ammunitions are ready to shoot at any time if order given. Authority was given to officers to shoot drones at their discretion. There will be a live ammunition drill of Red Army of Laborers and Peasants tomorrow.

Q: It must be hard time for the mobilized people.

- Needless to say, it is strenuous. The members of the Reserve Army should prepare half of foods needed by themselves for the period of the drill. It is tough! As the tension is seriously mounting at this time, the excuse of sick leave is not allowed. No exception for everybody. An officer who had a key for an arsenal was 30 minutes late. He was fired at the site immediately. It was warlike atmosphere.

As the authority is making a great fuss that a war is imminent, many people say “If so, it should be really good that a war breaks.” Close acquaintances at market agree with the saying, “Isn’t it better to wage a war than to live like this?” It should be those in the upper level who would suffer the most.

According to the reporting partners, even if the markets are still open, the business is shrinking as the law enforcement like the security agency (secret police) intensely tightens the control over the market. The common people are robbed of their time for forced guard drill. Their resentment is highly mounting.

* Editor’s notes on North Korean reporters
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