Secret police crackdown underway in border area
Guardpost of the 27th Border Guard Brigade in North Hamgyong Province. [Photo/ NK Times]
The secret police have reportedly launched a crackdown on its own people in the border region.
With information leaks occurring frequently in areas along the border with China, this drive appears aimed at identifying internal sources of leaks. At the same time, the heightened surveillance is causing mounting anxiety among residents.
According to a source in North Hamgyong Province on the 11th, joint inspections began on April 3rd in Hoeryong City and Musan County. They are being carried out under the directive of the Ministry of State Security, the feared secret police body that reports directly to Kim Jong-un.
The main goal is the detection and arrest of security officials leaking internal information.
In particular, authorities are said to have ordered a full-scale surveillance, tracking, and inspection of communications, movement, and economic activity of both local officials and residents in the border areas.
As such, the priority is areas where Chinese mobile phones can be used, with a focus on uncovering illegal communications and transactions with the outside world, the source explained.
In Hoeryong City, the State Security Bureau from Daehongdan County in Ryanggang Province has reportedly been tasked with carrying out the probe.
Security agents dispatched to the area are said to be using both stationary and handheld signal detectors to monitor communication signals in real-time. At the same time, they are conducting close investigations into the communication records and recent activities of individuals previously caught using Chinese mobile phones.
Due to this, residents who have used phones in the past or are currently using them are reportedly in a state of panic, with many fleeing to the homes of relatives or friends in other regions to avoid being caught up in the sweep.
“Inspections like this happen every year, but this time it feels much more intense,” the source said. “The agents doing it are even keeping their lodging and dining locations secret, completely cutting off contact with the community while they carry out their activities.”
“The border areas are tangled in a web of smugglers, donju (people with money), and law enforcement, so it’s not easy to root out illegal activity through inspections or crackdowns alone,” he said. “That’s why they are bringing in agents from other regions.”
Sewon is the North Korean-born founder and CEO of NK Times, a Seoul-based media outlet focused on North Korea. Drawing on his personal experience living there, he strives for transparency and accuracy in reporting, working to inform readers worldwide about the realities of North Korea.
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