300,000 N.Korean Soldiers 'to Help Rebuild Economy'

North Korea has decided to redeploy 300,000 soldiers to help kick-start its moribund economy, apparently confident that its nuclear weapons will serve as a sufficient deterrent, Japan's TV Asahi reported Tuesday.

Quoting a North Korean military officer, TV Asahi said the North's top military command issued an order on June 10 to reduce the number of troops by 300,000 or a quarter of the country's 1.19 million-strong military.

Some 50,000 officers and 250,000 soldiers will be transferred to tasks aimed at rebuilding the economy by the end of next month, it said.

The broadcaster speculated that the troop downsizing suggests the North has completed development and deployment of nuclear weapons.

But South Korean intelligence officials were unconvinced. "North Korea has already deployed a lot of troops to economic projects and we have seen indications of more soldiers being sent to construction sites," said one intelligence official here. "But this does not signify troop downsizing."

The official added, "Since shifting to a parallel track of pursuing both nuclear weapons development and bolstering the economy, North Korea has announced several big construction projects including a ski resort in Kangwon Province. But the soldiers being sent to building sites are regular troops who can always go back to the battlefield."

Officials at the defense and unification ministries here said they have no information that the North Korean leader issued such orders.

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