North Korea orders officer unity training after party congress

North Korea’s VIII Corps held three-day training sessions for junior officers across its units in early March, ordering them to cultivate closer bonds with enlisted soldiers and address grievances through positive reinforcement rather than punishment, following directives issued at the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

A source inside the North Korean military told Daily NK on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the security risks of being identified, that the political department of the VIII Corps ordered battalion commissars on Mar. 1 to hold the sessions.

The training centered on two long-standing military slogans: “officer-soldier unity” and “care for the troops.” Junior officers were told it was imperative to cultivate these virtues so that rank-and-file soldiers would embody proper political and moral character in their service.

Rather than being overbearing, officers were instructed to share in their soldiers’ daily lives and take note of their difficulties. Instructors cited examples of good conduct, including officers who covered their men’s shifts on public holidays, helped resolve issues during drills and daily duties, mentored new recruits in training and political studies, and looked after enlisted men with what instructors described as fraternal affection.

Officers cited for driving soldiers to desert

The sessions also addressed serious misconduct. Instructors cited cases of junior officers who had driven soldiers to desert through harsh and punitive practices, ordered soldiers to ransack the property of nearby civilians, and assigned abnormally long shifts that resulted in frostbite.

“Instructors noted that these incidents could have been prevented if the junior officers had taken greater interest in the soldiers in their charge,” the source said. “They emphasized that officers need to show brotherly affection for their men to ensure that nobody is left behind in the revolutionary army.”

Officers were also told that while military discipline depends on absolute obedience to orders and commands, that discipline can be reinforced by treating soldiers with care. When soldiers fail to comply with orders, officers were instructed to encourage behavioral change through positive reinforcement rather than punishment alone.

The sessions appear designed to reinforce internal unity and discipline in the wake of the Ninth Party Congress’s emphasis on military modernization and its “two track” approach to developing both nuclear and conventional weaponry. North Korea appears to be devoting more resources to political programs aimed at addressing young soldiers’ changing values and placating grievances about military service.

While “officer-soldier unity” and “care for the troops” are long-standing slogans, enlisted men continue to report unfair and at times brutal treatment by superior officers. The training sessions appear aimed at strengthening the role of junior officers in maintaining the unity and discipline considered fundamental to the military’s fighting strength. North Korea will likely continue using junior officers as a tool to win over soldiers and prevent defections and other disturbances within the ranks.

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