Border soldiers forced to replant trees doomed to die
North Korean soldiers guarding the border with China have been mobilized to plant trees ahead of Arbor Day on March 14, but many are voicing frustration over what they see as a politically driven campaign that sends trees to their deaths. A source in North Pyongan province told Daily NK on Monday th
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North Korean soldiers guarding the border with China have been mobilized to plant trees ahead of Arbor Day on March 14, but many are voicing frustration over what they see as a politically driven campaign that sends trees to their deaths.
A source in North Pyongan province told Daily NK on Monday that since March 9, soldiers with the 31st Border Guard Brigade have been digging holes for trees at three-meter (about 10-foot) intervals in sections assigned to each company, platoon, and squad near Sinuiju and Uiju.
North Korea organizes tree-planting campaigns every spring and fall, mobilizing both civilians and soldiers for reforestation and environmental improvement. But despite the annual effort, newly planted trees often fail to take root.
A large number of trees planted around Sinuiju and Uiju following the severe floods of summer 2024 did not survive and had to be dug up to make room for new plantings last year.
“Most of the dead trees are those that were hurriedly transplanted for political events,” the source said. “Those trees were doomed because the organizers were more interested in the visual impact than in the trees’ long-term viability.”
Officials prioritizing ornamental effect have repeatedly chosen to transplant mature trees rather than seedlings — a practice the source says is directly responsible for the high mortality rate.
Border troops pulled into a losing cycle
Soldiers currently assigned to the Sinuiju and Uiju areas are again transplanting mature trees pulled from surrounding forests rather than planting seedlings grown for the purpose.
“Trees that would grow fine if left alone are being ripped from the ground and replanted as part of the reforestation initiative,” the source said. “Their roots are damaged in the process, and they aren’t tended to afterward, which means they have no chance of surviving.”
In some cases, soldiers are digging up the same ground for the third time. “The trees planted last spring died, and more trees were planted in the fall. Those died too, so the soldiers are digging the spots up once again,” the source said.
The repetitive and seemingly futile work is breeding discontent in the ranks. Some soldiers are frustrated at being made to transplant trees almost certain to die; others say the authorities are fixated on raw planting numbers rather than on creating conditions that would allow trees to survive.
Beyond environmental aims, the source said, the tree-planting campaign along the border serves political and military purposes — obstructing access to the border area and limiting outside surveillance. That dual purpose is expected to extend the timeline of this year’s campaign significantly.
