By Zachary Keck
Reports that North Korea has deployed tanks and armored vehicles to its border with China are likely untrue.
North Korea is militarizing its border with China, according to a report in a South Korean daily.
Earlier this week, the Chosun Ilbo reported that North Korea is moving “scores of tanks and armored vehicles” to the 12th Corps and 42nd Brigade located in Ryanggang Province, near the border with China. Specifically, the report said that the 12th Corps has recently received 80 tanks (up from the previous grand total of zero tanks), an armored infantry unit, a unit of multiple rocket launchers, and a special warfare and sharpshooter brigade. Because of these new arrivals, the 12th Corps have “turned into an attack force,” according to Chosun Ilbo’s source (more on that later.)
Moreover, the 42nd Brigade will reportedly soon receive 80 new armored vehicles, which top out at 80 kilometers per hour and can carry 10 to 15 troops. Already, the 42nd Brigade has received “10 new tanks with an automatic fire-control system and a computer monitor.” The Chosun Ilbo’s source claimed that these moves had been taken because Pyongyang fears China will “betray” it over its nuclear program.
Read the full story at The Diplomat