North Korea Is So Impoverished, Kim Can’t Even Bribe His Own Soldiers Anymore

North Korea Is So Impoverished, Kim Can’t Even Bribe His Own Soldiers Anymore
North Korean communist dictator Kim Jong Un in this undated image released by state media.
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North Korea maintains a large—albeit outdated—military force, but pays its soldiers so little they have begun raiding farms to feed themselves.
One of the ways leader Kim Jong Un maintains the loyalty of his troops is by doling out luxury gifts and basic food and toiletry items to keep them happy. But this year, the troops who conducted a successful ballistic missile test are complaining all they got were cigarettes.
Matthew Little
Matthew Little
Author
Matthew Little is a senior editor with Epoch Health.
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