Why North Korea introduced its own version of alternative civilian service



Columns Why North Korea introduced its own version of alternative civilian service The DPRK’s shock detachments realize a dream of early communist leaders and provide a path to social advancement Andrei Lankov March 25, 2022 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Members of a speedy battle youth strike detachment raise their hands and wave flags at a construction site \| Image: Rodong Sinmun (Aug. 31, 2021) North Korean cities have always been crowded with men and women clad in uniform. The country has one of the world’s largest standing armies, and many professional groups require members to wear uniforms, like personnel of the Pyongyang subway system. One kind of uniform appears almost as frequently as the military one — that of strike brigades (돌격대). This peculiar North Korean institution can be seen as a distant analog of alternative civilian service. North Korean cities have always been crowded with men and women clad in uniform. The country has one of the world’s largest standing armies, and many professional groups require members to wear uniforms, like personnel of the Pyongyang subway system. One kind of uniform appears almost as frequently as the military one — that of strike brigades (돌격대). This peculiar North Korean institution can be seen as a distant analog of alternative civilian service. Try unlimited access Only $1 for four weeks Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis Year-one discount if you continue past $1 trial period The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Columns

Why North Korea introduced its own version of alternative civilian service

The DPRK’s shock detachments realize a dream of early communist leaders and provide a path to social advancement

Andrei Lankov March 25, 2022

Why North Korea introduced its own version of alternative civilian service

Members of a speedy battle youth strike detachment raise their hands and wave flags at a construction site | Image: Rodong Sinmun (Aug. 31, 2021)

North Korean cities have always been crowded with men and women clad in uniform. The country has one of the world’s largest standing armies, and many professional groups require members to wear uniforms, like personnel of the Pyongyang subway system.

One kind of uniform appears almost as frequently as the military one — that of strike brigades (돌격대). This peculiar North Korean institution can be seen as a distant analog of alternative civilian service.