North Korean Railroad Workers Jailed For Criticizing Missile Launch

Seven North Korean railroad workers heard criticizing a recent missile test by their secretive, sanctions-hit regime were arrested by authorities in Jagang province at the end of last month, sources say.

The workers, members of North Korea’s quasi-military “stormtrooper” construction brigades, had openly questioned the value of the launch, saying that the money spent on weapons tests would be better spent on the country’s crumbling infrastructure, one source told RFA’s Korean Service.


“Seven stormtroopers from Jagang province who were deployed to work on the Hyesan-Samjiyon railroad were arrested and handed over to the Security Department,” the source, a resident of neighboring Yanggang province, told RFA this week.

“They are suspected of slandering the missile launch that was conducted early last month,” RFA’s source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Also speaking to RFA, a second source in Yanggang said the men had been drinking and playing cards on March 6 at the house of their supervisor at the Amnokgang (Yalu River) Collective Farm in Yanggang’s Pochon county when they were overheard.

“While they were playing their game, a report of the missile launch was being aired over and over again on television,” the source said. “This annoyed them, and they said, ‘If I had the money to make missiles, I would rather buy more construction equipment.’”

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