Monday, January 22, 2018

North Korean villagers clash with authorities in rare sign of rebellion against Kim Jong-un's rule as officials ransack farms for food to feed the state's starving soldiers

Pictures appear to show North Korean soldiers stealing from civilians
The images are believed to have been taken in the northern Ryanggang Province
Soldiers are reportedly given months at a time to pillage corn from countrymen

North Korean authorities are ransacking civilian homes to look for food to feed the military after they failed to fulfill their government quotas.

Villagers in Ryanggang Province, at the Chinese border, claim local farming officials have been barging into their homes and taking food intended for their families after last year's bad harvest.

This has 'become a source of conflict' between farmers and authorities, South Korean news reports.

Pictured are what is said to be North Korean soldiers rummaging through crop fields (circled)

'Officials carried out home searches in Paekam County (Ryanggang Province) to determine how much food some families had,'

'As an excuse to enter and demand bribes, they said to the residents, "Are we just going to let our military starve while the Americans lick their lips and prepare to eat us alive?".'

Earlier this month, Daily NK published images which appear to show soldiers stealing grains from civilians as they were seen in a civilian corn field.

Other sources said many residents have expressed 'pity about the situation' after soldiers are spending up to three months pillaging their crops.

It is claimed that a poor harvest, a drought and international sanctions have left the government with reduced food rations.

Similar images were circulated in August last year, which appear to shows desperate soldiers trying to find food

Kim Jong-un frequently boasts about his nation's military capability, although soldiers surviving on meagre rations have resorted to stealing from civilians