Sunday, September 09, 2018

북한의 9/9절 행사: 10분간의 군사 퍼레이드를 위해 6개월간 독한 훈련-오직 북한에서만 가능한 Farce.

지구상의 200개가 넘는 국가들은, 자국의 영토와 국민들을 보호하기위해 군대를 보유하고 있고, 매년 나름데로의 국방력을 과시하기위해 군이 창설된날에 Parade를 하면서 폭격기를 포함하여 신형무기들을 Parade에 동원하여 그힘을 과시하곤 해왔다.

최근에는 세계적으로 최강의 힘을 갖고있다고 자타가 공인하는 미국에서는 그러한 군사Parade는 하지않는것으로 알고있고, 한국을 포함한 서구사회의 국가에서는  군Parade를  거의 하지 않는것으로 알고있다. 러시아와 중국에서는 매년 군Parade를 하고 있고,  중국과 대치하고 있는 자유중국은 본토중국에  밀리지 않겠다는 의지를 보여주기위해  매년 군퍼레이를 하고있는것으로  알고 있다.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-45477563

자유중국은, 한국처럼, 공산진영과 서방진영의 최전선에 위치하고 있으며, 미국의 맹방중 맹방이다.  두나라 사이의 혈맹 관계는 찰떡 처럼 딱 붙어있다. 한국의 현좌파정권처럼 안보면에서  또한 미군도 주둔하지 않고있으며, UN에서 한국처럼 독립된 나라로 인정도 받지 못하고 있는 나라지만, 반공의식은 정부나 국민들 모두가 철저해서,서로 의심을 주고받는 사이가 아니다.우리 부부는 2013년 자유중국의 건국일인 쌍십절에 운좋게 참석하여 군퍼레이들 직접 참관 할수 있었다. 그때 느낀점은 절대로 본토의 공산주의정권이 대만정권을 점령할수 없을것 같다는 신념이었다.

https://lifemeansgo.blogspot.com/2011/11/10-10-100-wulai-resort_06.html


한미간의 동맹 관계가 원활치 않을때, 내생각으로는 동북아시아의 최후마지노선은 한국대신에 자유중국, 일본으로 변경돼지 않을까?라는 Future Plan도 염두에 두고 있지 않을까다. 그랬을 경우, 우리 한국의 자유민주주의는 어디서 찾을수 있을까?라는 걱정이 깊어진다.

북한만이 유난히 매년 군사력을 서방세계 특히 한국, 일본, 미국들에 과시하기위해, 최소한 6개월 이상의 Parade Training를  실시하여, 외형적으로 건재함을 과시하고 있지만, 북한의 내부 사정을 잘알고 있는 서방세계에서는, 엄청난 국가예산을 탕진하는 이들의 행동을 철없는 안타까움으로 보고 있는데, 이들의 커다란 포스터와 선전문구를 보면서, 같은 시간에 2천3백만 북한주민들은 굶주림에 허덕이고 있는 백성들에게 Military Parade에 투입된 예산을,식량을 구입하는데 할애하여,식량 배급이라도 해주는데 예산을 사용했었다면...... 두려움을 느낀다는것 보다는 세계에 Farce 노릇을 하고 있다는 느낌이다.


이번의 Military Parade는 미국과 비핵화 협상중임을 의식해서인지, 핵무기를 탑재한 미사일같은 최신형 무기는 보이지 않았고, Conventional 무기들만 퍼레이드에 참여시켰다는 점이 예년과는 달랐다는 전문가들의 분석이다.

4년전에 탈북하여 현재 한국에 살고있는 "노희창"씨는 이북에서 노동당의 고위직으로 재직하면서, 성분좋은 가족을 선별하는일을 했었다. 그의 설명은 더욱 가슴을 아프게 한다.
"과거를 돌이켜 보면 모든게 죄스러울뿐이다. 북한주민들도, 또 당간부들도 많은 고통을 당했었다. 우리는 주민들이 동원된 단체 퍼레이드를 처음부터 끝까지 성공적으로 마치기위해서, 그런 비열한 방법을 취할수 밖에 없었다"라고.

퍼레이드에 참가하는 사람들은 김씨일가에 충성을 하겠다고 다짐한 군사학교출신, 또는 충성스런 군부대출신들, 영특한 가수들, 댄서들, 심지어 체조선수출신들만을 뽑았었다.



UN통계에 따르면, 북한전체 인구의 40%에 해당하는, 천만명 이상의 주민들이 인도주의적 외부원조가 필요하며, 20%의 어린이들이 영양실조에 시달리고 있다.

한반도에서 기후측정이 시작된 이래 최고로 더운 여름이었다. 북한 미디아는 "기록에 없던 자연재해다"라고 보도하고, 국제적십자사는, "쌀 옥수수 그외 다른 농작물들의 수확이 거의 없을것으로 추측되여 북한전체가 식량위기에 빠져들것으로 경고" 하고 있다.

지난 8월말에 태풍이 휩쓸고 지나가면서 76명이 사망했고, 같은 숫자의 주민들이 실종되고, 수천명의 주민들이 집을 잃고 허우적거리고 있다는 경고다.  태풍피해를 보도하는 미디아들은 이런 재난피해보도를 철저히 금지 당하고 있으며, 최근 있었던 김정은과 미국,한국의 대통령들과의 정상회담에 대한 보도역시 철저한 검열을 통해 필요한것만 보도돼고 있다.


노회찬의 설명에 따르면, 북한에서는 "만약에 벽이 흔들리면 산도 따라서 흔들릴수밖에 없다. 이뜻은 김일성 또는 김정일이 "아"라고 말하면, 시골 외지의 주민들은 "아"라고 반복하면서 그명령을 받아 들인다. 우리는 "예 수령님"이말밖에 모른다. 이게 바로 이북이 일사불란하게 움직이는 시스템이다 라고.

밖에서 외국인들이 볼때는 화려의 극치다. 그러나 이퍼레이드에 참석한 인민들은 6개월 동안 제대로 먹지도 못하면서 죽을힘을 다써서 그자리에선 것임을 잊지 말아야 한다. 정말로 단 10분동안의 퍼레이드를 위해, 6개월동안 비지땀을 흘리면서 훈련해온것인데, 정말로 가슴이 아픈일 아닌가. 이를 보는 사람들이 퍼레이드 뒤에 감춰져 있는 핵심이 뭔가를, 특히 이를 보도하는 기자들은 명심해야 사항들이다.

Mr. Noh의 절실한 멘트다. "할수만 있다면 나는 꼭 평양으로 되돌아 가고싶다. 고향생각을 하면 눈물이 나고 통곡을 하게된다. 꿈속에서도 고향 평양에 가고 있다.  어느 누가 고향에 가고싶지 않은 사람이 있을까?" 라고 절규한다.

기자들은 사진을 찍어야 할곳만 허용된다. 훈련의 성과가 맘에 안들때는, 동원된 인민들은 몇개월이고, 때로는 몇년에 걸쳐 지옥같은 훈련을 반복해야 한다. 북한창설 70주년 행사를 위해 그렇게 Kim's Regime은 배고픔에 굶주린 주민들을 혹사 시켰던 것이다.


"These parades are emblematic of Pyongyang's 'theatre state', with tens of thousands of people mobilised in de-individualised displays of patriotic zeal, leader adulation and archaic ideological slogans," says Sokeel Park from Liberty in North Korea, an international non-governmental organisation that works with North Korean defectors.
"The North Korean people are to be seen and not heard. But each face in the masses of people who pass through Kim Il-sung Square represents an individual who may voice a different opinion, if given the chance."

'Our shirts caught fire'

Kim Ji-young now has that opportunity. The 36-year-old defected to South Korea six years ago. She was a university student in Pyongyang and took part in parades as a torch bearer. The aim was to recreate the night battles of North Korea's first Supreme Leader Kim Il-sung, who is said to have fought to free the nation from Japanese rule.
"It was a kind of firework festival with torches that made letters. It must have been rather cool to look from above at the letters burning with fire as young college students marched away. But our shirts caught fire from time to time.
"We practiced for six months, and all we needed to do was to hold the torch and walk. The lead marcher would shout 'Hurray Comrade Kim Il-sung the great leader!' and then we would reply three times 'Hurray, hurray, hurray'.


"Our eyes would be on the stage while walking forward and holding the torch in an absolutely perfect line and in synchronised steps."
But that mechanical goose-step movement does not come naturally, says Mrs Kim.
"You have to lift up the back leg at the same time your front leg hits the ground. This is very difficult. If you do this for six months, people lose a minimum of five kilograms [11lb]."
Organisers were told to strive for perfection. There were medals for those who did well. Others, I was told, were scolded if things went badly.

'Everyone suffered for it'

Noh Hee-Chang was a Workers' Party secretary, a high official. He defected from North Korea four years ago for political reasons. It was his job to select the most loyal families to take part.
"Looking back at it, it really was a painful experience. The people suffered but even the Party officials suffered because we had to guarantee the success of the ceremony from the beginning to the end."
The marchers would come from military academies or elite army units. Talented singers, dancers and gymnasts would also be chosen. All were selected because of their loyalty to the Kim family.


"You would have to do a check on each person," said Mr Noh. "The most important thing was their family roots. They must have a clean family record, loyal to the nation, all the way until their second cousins."
The defectors told me they had trained up to 10 hours a day for several months. Some would get sick or injured and replacements would have to be found. Mr Noh said feeding everyone, especially during the years of famine, became a real challenge.

Elusive treaty

So how does this fit with a leader who has promised to make the lives of ordinary North Koreans better? Kim Jong-un has declared that North Korea is now a nuclear nation and the country will focus on the economy. State media have also called for the day to be a "celebration of the victor and continuously expand the results of the big economic development march".
But it's thought Mr Kim had hoped to make a bigger and bolder announcement on this prestigious anniversary. Many analysts believe he wanted to achieve something his father and grandfather never did - a declaration to end the Korean War.
The fighting ended in 1953 with an armistice agreement. There has never been a peace treaty.


As talks with the United States have stalled, Mr Kim warmly received a South Korean delegation this week and reiterated his will to "denuclearise the Korean peninsula". He was frustrated, according to the officials from Seoul, that he is taking steps to disarm and yet the world does not believe him.
He reportedly said that he wished he could eliminate 70 years of hostile history with the US, improve North Korea-US relations and realise denuclearisation within the first term of President Trump.
That is, at least, the bare bones of a timeline and it seems Mr Kim is eager to do a deal with the US president, who responded in a tweet that they would "get it done together".
However, a key problem remains. Kim Jong-un may appear to be a more open North Korean leader but he still seems unwilling to let the world see beyond what he wants them to see. And on this occasion it is the parade.

Hidden from the cameras

The UN estimates that around 40% of the population, or more than 10 million people, need humanitarian assistance and about 20% of children suffer from malnutrition.


This year has been the hottest since records began on the Korean peninsula. North Korean state media described it as an "unprecedented natural disaster". The International Federation of the Red Cross Society warned that rice, maize and other crops were withering in the fields, "with potentially catastrophic effects", putting the country at risk of a "full-blown food security crisis".
Severe flooding in late August in the wake of a typhoon also killed at least 76 people, with nearly the same number missing and thousands left homeless by the destruction.
It's unlikely that the invited media will be shown these scenes of devastation. Media access remains tightly controlled despite Kim Jong-un's recent high-profile summits with the US and South Korean presidents.
Noh Hee-Chang remembers organising days of marching in the searing heat with very little to eat.
"Oh the hunger. The most important thing was being hungry. Especially, during Kim Jong-il's time, there was not enough to eat. All 100,000 people would work from morning to night and the biggest problem for them was not eating enough."
And yet I asked if he, as a manager, felt sorry for those in the parade. His answer was an emphatic no.

"In North Korea we have been taught that if a wall shakes, the mountain must shake as well. The meaning of this is that, if Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-il says 'ah', then even the very lowest citizen who has a breath must say 'ah' and accept the order. We only know how to say 'yes sir'. That's how the system is set up."

A matter of survival

This display of loyalty and pride is seen as central to the success of the parades and of the nation. Mrs Kim remembered hearing the shouts of "Long Live" from her friends in the military as they passed their leader.
"They would shout so hard that their voices would be gone by the end of the 100-metre march. We would try to talk to them but they couldn't because their voice was gone."
As well as being a part of the spectacle, Mrs Kim said this was also a matter of survival.
"We were all children of mid- to high-level officials in the Party. So if word got out that someone had complained - then they could just disappear. So no one would complain.


"It must be fascinating at first for foreigners. But I want to tell them, these people worked so hard for six months without eating. They sweated and worked so hard for six months for what - 10 minutes of marching? It is heartbreaking. I wish people would see more of what is hidden underneath, especially reporters."
But still the sense of pride as a nation remains.
Mr Noh, for one, would go back at a moment's notice if he could.
"100% I would return. It makes me to cry to think about my hometown. Of course I would love to go back. I always want to go back to Pyongyang. Who wouldn't want to go back to their hometown?"


https://www.cp24.com/world/north-korea-stages-huge-parade-holds-back-on-advanced-missiles-1.4086059

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-45443189

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-45417037



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