New Phone Numbers Raise Suspicion

In the border city of Hyesan, Yangkang
Province, North Korea has recently completed an overhaul to the area code
system, implementing an amended method that began late last
year. 

Before this, we only had two area codes
for home phones in Hyesan, but now they changed the numbers according to
neighborhoods,
a source in Yangkang Province told the
Daily NK on Friday.
 

Previously, Hyesan City phone numbers began with 34 or 35 depending on the order of registration. However, the recent change has rendered these obsolete; for example, in the case of Songhu-dong area, the area code now begins with 53, according to the source. Since each neighborhood
has a unique set of digits, just by looking at the phone number you can tell which
area it is from,
he explained. 

While the swap-out could stem from
technical needs such as aging cables or an increase in telephone users, the
source speculated the latter to be especially unlikely: given the growing number of
mobile phone users, home phones would not have seen such a spike in demand.

Most suspect more nefarious factors to be at play, namely that security
officials are attempting to tap home phones in addition to stringent surveillance on mobile phones. According to the source, this move aims to increase observation in border areas of potential escapees from the country and those involved in the flow of remittances in and out.

Since the new numbers are assigned by
neighborhood, if someone is exposed during a wire tap, it would be easy  for the
State Security Department [SSD] to figure out where it
s
from,
he explained. Officials from the SSD and the MPS [Ministry of Peoples
Security] have a watch list for each area, so it would give them a leg-up in
catching people through wire taps.
” 

Others surmise that the new system was implemented because those apprehended in connection with remittances confessed to using home phones to broker some parts of the overall operation. Some assert that the measure came after the authorities became cognizant of the fact that, when possible, people use their home phones because they suspect local mobile phones can be
tapped along with Chinese-manufactured mobile devices.

The rumored theories, in conjunction with tightened regulations to stamp out outside phone calls and the recent crackdown on foreign currency, has many on even higher alert. “Now everyone says that the SSD has eyes
and ears in everyone
s homes,
he said.
I havent heard
of anyone getting into trouble because of the change in areas codes yet, but a
lot of people are worried.”

Still, he added that some residents have a rather nonchalant attitude toward the most recent measure. “Were all
so well trained when it comes to surveillance and crackdowns that this phone
number change isn
t going to scare anyone,” they’ve said, adding that one method of apprehending people will only serve to
push them to find 10 more ways of evading the system.