◆ Whereabouts of the two men unknown
The incident is expected to lead to even tighter control of the border. According to the reporting partner, the border guard company responsible for the area where the escape occurred has been replaced in its entirety, and the company commander and political instructor were demoted under the principle of collective responsibility.
The reporting partner added: “Repair work is being done (on the barbed-wire fence and other installations) in the Pochon area. I heard that rather than the border guards, combat engineers from an army brigade have been brought in to re-lay the landmines so nobody knows where they are. It looks like landmines are being re-inspected along the entire border.”
In Chinese border cities, the number of Korean-speaking ethnic Koreans has been steadily declining in recent years, and surveillance cameras have been installed throughout city centers and along roads. Without identification, it is impossible to board long-distance buses or trains.
As of Nov. 10, the reporting partner said, “It doesn’t seem like there’s been any confirmation that they’ve been caught.” Where are the two men now?
※ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.
