Report: North Korea rabbit stew never reached soldiers

Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Nutritious meals of chicken and rabbit stew prepared for hungry North Korean soldiers have gone missing, and sources in the country have suggested senior military personnel may have intercepted the food.

A source in North Korea's Ryanggang Province told South Korean news service Daily NK the food was never "delivered to the soldiers, and nobody knows where it was sent."

On July 27, authorities had instructed civilians to prepare care packages for soldiers, and specifically told people to cook protein-rich rabbit and chicken stew, as well as other dishes, according to the report.

July 27 marks an annual North Korean holiday known as "Victory Day," which also marks the signing of the 1953 Armistice that brought an end to fighting that began with the Korean War.

Rising speculation in North Korea about the missing food may be angering residents, who are struggling to make ends meet in the deeply impoverished country.

"Residents are having a hard enough time getting by as it is, and despite this, we were all asked to provide [$3.70] worth of food, but it didn't end up being delivered to the soldiers, and nobody knows where it was sent," the source in Ryanggang Province said.

"We prepared this food for the soldiers, who are weak and malnourished, but they didn't even see it. After learning about this, the residents complained and asked where it went."

North Korean students were separately asked to write morale-boosting letters to soldiers or to gather edible plants like wild chives for the food drive.

A second source in Ryanggang Province said students unable to collect the perennial plant were each asked to donate more than $1 in funds.

Propaganda lectures on Kim Jong Un's love of his country are also demoralizing the population, the source said.

In July, North Korean sources said malnutrition in the military was forcing parents of soldiers to supply food.