Three families attempted to escape North Korea from Hoeryong
in North Hamgyong Province shortly after the 7th Party Congress earlier this
month, but were captured and forcibly repatriated by North Korean security
agents dispatched to China. Following the incident, border control in the area
has been tightened further still, causing greater difficulties in daily life
for residents, Daily NK has learned.
“Right after the Party Congress, three families (of around
15 people) living in Hoeryong tried to escape as a group,” a source close to
North Korean affairs in China reported on Monday. “But apprehension teams from
state security agents were immediately dispatched to China, and they were
caught and brought back,” the source explained.
Additional sources in China close to the issue corroborated this news.
“These days, apprehension teams are sent out immediately
when someone defects, as was the case here,” said the source. “Agents have also
been apprehending the brokers who aid these defections, and so escaping to
China has become very challenging.”
State authorities stepped up border security from the 2nd to
the 10th this month, designating it as a ‘special patrol week’ to ensure that
no incidents arose during the time of the Party Congress. According to the
source, agents used vehicles mounted with wiretapping devices to listen in on
international phone calls and detect potential escape attempts.
Because the escape took place despite these strict controls,
the authorities were thrown into chaos. A different source in China with good
knowledge of North Korean affairs told Daily NK that unlike in the past, when
agents would conduct investigations quietly, these days they openly go around
questioning residents to learn more about the case.
“After the previous incident with the restaurant workers
became public, the regime has become even more sensitive to defections,” the
source said. “(The families) were probably hoping there would be a better
chance to defect during the Party Congress, but it’s too bad that they weren’t
able to escape the dragnet,” she lamented.
Had it been one or two people, the failed attempt may have
led to a few months in a labor camp, but with it being a mass
escape by whole families, the source stated that being sent to a political prison camp
“is likely inevitable.” Adding to this, the fact that they tried to defect
during the Party Congress, coupled with the worsening atmosphere arising from
the recent escapes of restaurant workers from China may lead to even harsher
measures, the source speculated, expressing concern.
Having dealt with yet another mass defection case, state
authorities have stepped up surveillance on residents. Efforts have been
focused on mobile phone communication with those outside of the country to seal
off any information flowing across the border.
“Residents say they can feel agents breathing down their
necks even when they’re out at the riverside (near the border) doing their
laundry,” the source said, adding that this has encouraged many to stay indoors
unless they need to go to the market or must leave the house for an important
reason.
“The wiretapping unit within the State Security Department
has improved its mobile phone surveillance methods, so they can now send out
agents immediately to specific locations if they detect someone talking to
people outside of the country,” the source said. Meanwhile, security agents
have been ramping up their threats, saying punishments will be heavier and the
consequences will be particularly grave if people are caught talking with
“South Korean puppets.”
