Oh Chong-song, who was 24 when he escaped in November 2017, said “80 percent” of people his age feel “indifferent” towards the leadership in Pyongyang. And he said chronic shortages of food and supplies are still widespread across the hermit kingdom, adding: “If you don’t have money or power, you die in a ditch.” Oh’s desperate bid for freedom was documented by surveillance cameras on the South Korean side of the heavily armed border.
A vehicle driven by the young soldier was seen speeding towards the DMZ as his countrymen dashed out of buildings in pursuit.
After crashing close to the frontier, the footage showed Oh fleeing on foot – and North Korean guards following close behind opening fire.
The defector was shot around five times but collapsed on the southern side of the border – allowing South Koreans to drag him to safety.
And despite bleeding like “a broken jar”, doctors managed to save his life.
Oh has now been set up with a new identity in South Korea, and has shared his experiences of life in Kim’s hermit kingdom for the first time.
Speaking to Japanese newspaper Sankei, Oh revealed the soldiers who shot him were his friends – but said he is not angry at them for opening fire.
He said: “If they don’t shoot, they will be severely punished. If I were in their position I would have shot me too.”
Oh said he worked as a police officer before joining the military but described how corruption was rampant in the regime as individuals were forced to take whatever opportunities they could in order to survive.
He described how he “would turn a blind eye to people who broke the law but gave me money” and would threaten anyone who refused to pay with prison.
Oh said he joined the North Korean military in 2010 and became a middle-ranking officer stationed at the DMZ.
After escaping from the hermit kingdom, doctors discovered Oh was infested with parasites.
He said: “In the army, people use tableware again and again without washing them. But parasites don’t grow in people if they are really malnourished.
“In my case, I was found with parasites because I was in good condition.”
But despite having enough to eat himself, Oh said the majority of North Koreans are not as lucky.
And he said failure to provide the population with essentials is having a major impact on trust in the leadership.
He said: “People my age, about 80 percent of them are indifferent and they don’t feel loyal towards Kim.
“Not being able to feed the people properly, but the hereditary succession keeps going on — that results in indifference and no loyalty.”