Twenty soldiers were arrested for breaking rules meant to protect North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his visit to a special forces training site last September. Now, the parents of one of those soldiers have gone missing.
“Twenty soldiers who showed dishonorable behavior during the Marshal’s visit were sent to a military-run labor camp after their investigation concluded in mid-January,” a Pyongyang source told Daily NK recently.
“The military’s state security bureau decided these soldiers would be transferred to an isolation zone after serving their time, instead of being sent home,” the source added, noting that civilians were shocked by this news.
The incident became public knowledge when military officials notified the soldiers’ parents in late January that their sons had died—a cover-up for their arrest and decision to place them in permanent quarantine.
Most parents accepted the death notifications without question. However, some wealthy families used their connections to investigate how their children had died, which is how the true story emerged.
When a couple in Sariwon, North Hwanghae province, learned about their only son’s supposed death, they resolved to discover the truth, even if it meant selling everything they owned. They reached out to contacts in Pyongyang and eventually uncovered what had happened.
The devastated couple shared the story with neighbors, expressing disbelief that this could happen to their cherished son, who had been born late in their lives. Soon, rumors spread throughout the city.
Shortly afterward, the couple vanished.
“Soldiers escorted the parents to Pyongyang on Feb. 15, and they never returned. Four days later, housing officials arrived to announce their home would be reassigned to another family. The entire neighborhood was stunned,” said the source.
People in Sariwon are now whispering that the parents who searched for their son have also disappeared.
“People who’ve heard these rumors are struggling to understand the government’s actions. Some question why an entire family was eliminated over one mistake during firearm drills, while others wonder if Kim Jong Un is even aware of what happened,” the source explained.
The incident has created anxiety within military ranks. Officers interpret this as a warning that any violation involving Kim will face severe punishment without exception. They anticipate stricter regulations regarding the supreme leader throughout all units.
“Soldiers at the training site where the incident occurred are experiencing extreme anxiety, fearing they could lose everything while their families receive only a brief death notification,” the source concluded.
March 10, 2025 at 01:15PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)