North Korea’s Ministry of People’s Security (MPS) has issued new judicial instructions aimed at shoring up internal security in the wake of the public removal and
execution of Jang Song Taek, Daily NK has learned. The “four guidelines” were handed down to judicial arms of provincial people’s committees throughout the country.
“Provincial MPS bureaus and offices received the ‘four guidelines’ in the name
of the Ministry of People’s Security after the execution of Jang Song Taek,” a source from North Hamkyung Province told Daily NK. “The
security services have been watching the movements of the public really closely since then in order to ensure that the guidelines are met. Public
surveillance is probably only going to increase as a result.”
The source explained that, under the new guidelines, particularly
severe punishment awaits anyone who engages in: ▲ Slander of Kim Jong Eun; ▲
“Superstitious behaviour” [including of a religious nature, such as Christianity];
▲ Production, sale or
consumption of illicit substances; ▲ Viewing
or distributing illicit recordings.
“It notes that the crime of slandering the General will be met with punishment
so severe that they included the words ‘ruthless extermination.’ Even
though some people don’t really know what Christianity is, the guidelines say that
it will be treated as a serious crime. It looks like people who have travelled to
China will be the target of that one,” he claimed.
“The guideline specifying harsh punishment for drugs offenses says that
‘the term ‘drugs’ should disappear from the country,’” he went on, adding, “It
also states that ‘Drugs are a dangerous toxin that are injurious to the task of
diplomacy with China.’” The guidelines add that drugs “have now become a problem at the state
level because of abuse.”
“Since the start of the New Year it has gotten
harder to find people selling CDs of South Korean dramas,” the source claimed, implying that the controls have begun to bite. “Chinese dramas
with Korean translations are also considered ‘impure,’ and because foreign films
contain stuff that they don’t want us to see [criticism of the regime,
capitalist and adult content], the authorities are cracking down there.”
Normally, crackdowns can be evaded via bribery and corruption, which is endemic in North Korea under ordinary circumstances. However, security agents and officials feel an unusual degree of pressure to
implement directives now as it is important to demonstrate loyalty to the regime.
Moreover, “Security agents also succumb to anti-socialist elements like South
Korean dramas, and this has caused problems,” the source said. “So internal
controls won’t only increase for ordinary people; they will be worse for the security services as
well.”
