Pyongyang Puts Soldiers Along the DMZ on the Alert
North Korea has strengthened its ability to wage war despite its serious food shortage, pending the third anniversary of the death of the late leader Kim Il-sung, the Defense Ministry said yesterday. The isolated Stalinist country could launch an attack or provocation at any time, but there seem to be no unusual signs at the moment that the North would launch an immediate attack against the South, an informed ministry intelligence official said.
He said many of the 1.1-million soldiers are now being mobilized to the rice paddies to help ease the severe food shortage. The North has deployed 170mm and 240mm multiple rocket launchers near the Demilitarized Zone, which could hit the capital area of the South. Pyongyang is also developing Scud-type Rodong missiles that could hit targets anywhere in South Korea and parts of Japan, said the official.
North Korea recently
produced a score AN-2 infiltration aircraft and small submarines and warships,
and doubled the number of patrol ships in the West
Sea after the May 12 defection of 14 North Koreans to the South via the
West Sea, according to the official. During the winter
wargames from December last year to April this year, North Korea
conducted strengthened maneuvers of its mechanized forces,
and the North Korean forces have stockpiled 1.2 million
tons of combat rations, he said.
North Korean soldiers
in the border area are given 800 grams of rice and corn daily, while the
other soldiers are rationed 800 grams of corn each
day. The official said a rumor widespread among the North Korean people
that a war may break out between July and October may
have been intentionally created by North Korean authorities.
With the third anniversary
of Kim Il-sung's death tomorrow, North Korea has put its troops deployed
along the DMZ in a state of emergency. Kim died from a heart
attack on July 8, 1994. Late last month, North Korea placed a travel ban
around Pyongyang, preventing wedding and birthday parties
on the :hird anniversary of Kim's death.
Pyongyang said it
would close the border and international air and sea ports today until
Thursday. North Korea has asked a U.S. mission, due
in Pyongyang to investigate soldiers missing during the 1950-53 Korean
War, to delay its arrival until Friday. There was no
move or mention from Pyongyang of either an end to the mourning period
or of the son and the heir apparent, Kim Jong-il, officially
succeeding his father. The junior Kim has had effective control of the
country for the last three years.
Copyright 1997 Korea Herald. All rights reserved.