North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly ordered the closure of an entire city after 653 bullets went missing during a military withdrawal.
According to two sources, the dictator’s officials searched house to house in the city of Hyesan, which has a population of around 200,000 people, for the ammunition.
‘The city… will remain on lockdown until all 653 bullets are found,’ an anonymous resident of Hyesan’s northern province of Ryanggang told RFA’s Korean Service.
The assault rifle ammunition went missing on March 7, when soldiers from the Korean People’s Army 7th Corps were withdrawing from the area surrounding the city, which borders China.
They were stationed there in 2020 to enforce the border closure at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘They completely withdrew between February 25 and March 10, but an extensive investigation is underway due to a loss of bullets during the evacuation process,’ said the Ryanggang resident.
According to the source, when this occurred, the soldiers did not immediately report it and instead attempted to locate the missing bullets on their own. ‘However, when the missing bullets were not found, they notified the residents and began a thorough search,’ he explained.
According to the source, the police and military launched an investigation, sealed off the entire city, and began searching house to house.
‘Anyone who has seen or picked up a bullet is required to report it as soon as possible.’
Those who fail to report any bullets they find may face punishment, according to the source.
‘There have been no clues even after ten days since this investigation began,’ said the source.
Residents had hoped for the army’s withdrawal from the area, but they will have even less freedom of movement during the investigation, according to a Ryanggang province official who requested anonymity in order to speak freely to RFA.
‘Last week, orders were issued to factories, farms, social groups, and neighborhood watch units in the province to actively cooperate with the ammunition-related investigation,’ said the official, adding that when the bullets were not recovered after ten days, the investigating authorities resorted to lying to instill fear in the public.
‘They tried to put pressure on the residents by claiming that the withdrawal was a maneuver to protect the Supreme Dignity from reactionary forces,’ the official said, referring to the country’s leader with an honorific.
‘The Ministry of State Security, the Military Security Command of the Korean People’s Army, and the Ministry of Social Security issued a particularly stern warning against “Plunder, Illegal Possession or Disposal of Weapons, Ammunition, and Combat Technology Equipment,” as stipulated in criminal law Article 78,’ according to the official.
‘A person who illegally possesses or transfers firearms, ammunition, or weapons shall be punished by reform through labor for a period of more than three years,’ he stated.
The residents are concerned that if there is no resolution, the authorities will arbitrarily punish someone who may be completely innocent, according to the official.
‘Some residents claim that the authorities are creating an atmosphere of sharp military confrontation between the North and the South on a daily basis, even claiming that the South is inciting war,’ the official said.
‘Because this incident occurred during a period of high tension, residents are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the investigation.’
