The North Korean authorities have once again moved to improve surveillance of families with missing members or defectors. The security services are watching such families on a rolling basis via heads of local people's units, according to sources in the north of the country.

A Yangkang Province source told Daily NK on November 4th, "People’s unit heads have been strengthening their surveillance of those families who've lost contact with a family member in China and who have a parent alive. They report the results to the Ministry of Public Security, whose agents directly monitor families containing defectors."

The source continued, "The provincial branch of Public Security has ordered heads of local people’s units to watch over such families and report any strange activity immediately because. They claim that even 'a moment of inattention' could lead to defections."

"Families with members who have defected or whose whereabouts are unconfirmed must register with their local People’s Security bureau," she explained. "They are watched over by either a case officer that checks on them in person, or via the chief of their people’s unit or another neighbor.

"Most of these missing persons have gone to South Korea through China," the source acknowledged. "It looks like rising numbers of missing persons and defectors have led the authorities to try and block anyone else from defecting by stepping up surveillance and controls."