May 04, 2024

Swiss funding of N. Korean officer training ended

Military officers may attend training, but won't receive taxpayer funding following outcry

Public disapproval has caused Switzerland to stop allowing North Korean military officers to receive funding to attend a Geneva training center, a Swiss news source has reported.

Swissinfo.ch, the international arm of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, quoted a spokesperson from the defense ministry as stating that the eight personnel from the Korean People’s Army may still attend the training, but will no longer receive public money to do so. An investigation from the German-language Swiss paper Blick revealed last year that the North Koreans were taking part in the training, receiving 160,000 francs (about $174,000) in public funding since 2011. As part of the investigation, two North Korean officers were filmed being led through a shooting exercise, with one accidentally discharging his firearm during the filming.

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