North Korean sources revealed that the government has ordered schools across the country to raise more rabbits as a source of meat for the military, or face punishment.
As the North Korean Military Foundation Day (April 25) approaches, authorities have reportedly begun inspecting rabbit farms in schools nationwide, demanding an increase in supply to local military units.
Since the famine in the 1990s, due to ongoing food shortages, the North Korean government has been actively promoting the raising of rabbits and goats as sources of meat.
Authorities have particularly emphasized rabbit farming because their meat is edible and they provide quality fur. As a significant measure for the nation, relevant departments have established rabbit farming associations and farms across the country.
A source from Pyongan Province in North Korea told the radio station that inspections of school rabbit farming started last week for the first time, conducted by officials from the provincial-level “Youth League,” following orders from the party committee.
In North Korea, the “Children’s Union” and “Youth League” are mass political organizations that teach young people socialist ideology and loyalty. The former requires students aged 9 to 13 to join, while the latter requires students aged 14 to 18 to join.
The source stated that “Youth League” instructors at each school are responsible for meeting the rabbit farming targets.
While authorities annually emphasize expanding rabbit farming to provide more rabbit meat and fur to the military, this is the first time they have conducted actual inspections on schools.
The focus of these inspections is on the scale of the farms and the number of rabbits, including breeding rabbits and their offspring. Youth League instructors at each school failing to meet the target of at least 1,000 rabbits may face warnings or penalties, including dismissal.
The rabbits tallied in the inspections (excluding breeding rabbits) must be delivered as support supplies to local military units by April 25.
A source from Hamgyong Province in North Korea reported that authorities have required all schools in Hoeyang County to deliver the rabbits they raised to the military before April 25, with each school providing 300 rabbits.
“Some teachers have expressed frustration, saying schools are places for students to learn, not military supply bases,” the source said.
To feed the rabbits in school farms, students aged over 10 are forced to search for grass in the fields because they are not allowed to collect clover on the mountainsides due to forest protection regulations.
Since the 1970s, the North Korean government has required middle and high school students to raise rabbits and donate them to the country, while farmers must meet the annual meat purchase quotas set by the state.
There have been reports that many people cannot eat the meat they produce because most of it is handed over to authorities, with the remaining portion eaten or sold off by corrupt officials.
In 2010, some international charities raised funds to send giant rabbits to North Korea for breeding as a low-cost source of protein. However, these rabbits later disappeared, leading to speculations that they were quickly confiscated and consumed by North Korean officials.
Reports of food shortages in North Korea are common. Hungry soldiers may even sell personal equipment to civilians and use the money to buy food. When authorities conduct inspections, some soldiers have already sold off all their equipment.
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