A company commander of North Korea’s 27th Brigade border guard unit attacked his wife and a non-commissioned officer with a knife after discovering their affair in the early morning hours of Sept. 28.
The incident, which occurred in Kyongwon county, North Hamgyong province, has led to a ban on enlisted personnel visiting officers’ homes.
A source in North Hamgyong province told Daily NK that the non-commissioned officer barely escaped alive, but the wife of the company commander died on the spot.
The company commander had been away on business for several days and had just returned home when he saw his wife and the non-commissioned officer in a compromising position. Enraged, he lost control and attacked the couple.
Following the incident, the company commander was stripped of his rank and detained by the brigade’s security department. He is now awaiting punishment. The non-commissioned officer was dishonorably discharged.
The battalion’s political department ordered soldiers to keep their mouths shut to prevent rumors of the sordid incident from spreading. Word of the killing, however, quickly spread to civilians living in Kwongwon county.
Local residents blamed both the company commander, who had initially welcomed the non-commissioned officer into his home to obtain extra food rations, and expressed remorse over the wife’s death despite her actions.
The non-commissioned officer was in charge of the company’s food supply. He distributed food for the company’s enlisted men, officers, and their families from the battalion’s logistics section. Because he also managed daily necessities such as uniforms and soap, even officers tried to get along with him to get more supplies.
“Officers and their families tried to maintain a close relationship with the non-commissioned officer because he could fiddle with the books to give them an extra gram of rice,” the source said. “The latest incident seems to have occurred after the company commander invited the non-commissioned officer to his home to befriend him, which led to a problem.”
After the incident, the 27th Brigade issued an order banning enlisted men from visiting officers’ homes and warned that it would strictly crack down on such behavior.
North Korean officers often force enlisted men to do chores every holiday, including tending their small fields and fixing their chimneys. So the soldiers welcome the brigade’s order.
“The officers and their families treat the enlisted men like farmhands,” the source said. “The non-commissioned officer visited the company commander’s house for another reason, but the ordinary enlisted men think it’s good that they can no longer do chores at the officers’ houses thanks to the incident.”
The Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
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October 28, 2024 at 05:30AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)