Soldier arrested after sneaking past Pyongyang’s tight security
A soldier who snuck past Pyongyang’s tight security after deserting his military unit in Gangwon Province was arrested in the capital city.
After the return of a North Korean defector suspected of being infected with COVID-19 in late July, North Korean authorities further tightened movement in and out of the city. The fact that the soldier was able to enter Pyongyang without issue caused an uproar in his unit and among city officials.
The soldier, surnamed Choi, was serving in a military engineer company under the 1st Corps in Anbyong, Gangwon Province, when he decided to desert his unit on Aug. 2. According to a Daily NK source on Friday, Choi’s decision to desert his unit was simple: He was angry for being forced to stand guard for six hours straight the evening of Aug. 1 and about being ordered to do the same the following day.
According to the source, Choi left his automatic rifle and combat gear inside his guard house and fled. Later, he entered a nearby private home to change clothes and hitched rides on several vehicles before arriving in the vicinity of Pyongyang. ......
[Source: Daily NK]
