North Korean authorities forcibly drafted young workers into the military due to a shortage of springtime recruits, which has led to labor shortages at factories, farms, mines, and other workplaces.
Speaking anonymously, a Daily NK source in Jagang province recently said “social entrants” — people in their early 20s who were allotted to work in factories, farms and mines immediately after graduating high school — were suddenly drafted into the army early last month.
North Koreans are usually drafted in their mid-20s after working four or five years. However, with the latest measure, young high school graduates were drafted less than a year after leaving school, a significant deviation from the norm.
Most drafted “social entrants” were people between 20 and 22. These individuals — who expected to enter the army at least a year or two later — were reportedly stunned by the sudden draft order.
“The draft measure was quite sudden, with some people enlisting just a week after the order,” the source said.
The authorities do not conduct separate physical exams at enlistment because the recruits receive physical exams when they graduate high school. Because of this, the “social entrants” enlisted immediately after the order was issued without administrative procedures like submitting documents or physical exams.
Sudden draft leads to severe labor shortages
North Korea conducts two drafts — in spring and autumn. The spring draft in April usually targets people who graduated high school in March, while the autumn draft in September often targets people who have already begun careers.
North Koreans find the latest draft order strange. Early July is not an ordinary recruitment period, nor is it time to draft people who have begun careers.