It has been revealed that the department regulating mobile phones that North Korean citizens in the North Korea-China border region are secretly using is the "Department No. 27 of National Security Agency," disguised as the "Communication Maintenance Bureau ."

A North Korean internal source said on the 19th, "The department in Shinuiju which has been regulating mobile phones and has been disguising itself as the Communication Maintenance Bureau is the 'Department No. 27 of National Security Agency.' In contrast to the Communication Maintenance Bureau, the Department, which is equipped with high technology communication equipment acquired from overseas, researches radio detecting and jamming technology."

The source explained, "Currently, 40-some of them are acting in Shinuiju and are regulating the usage of mobile phones with top-of-the line German mobile phone signal detection device while maintaining an office in Baeksa-dong, Shinuiju. Small units have been dispatched to the Yongcheon and Hyesan and the Security Agency in the province has been in complete charge."

The source revealed, "A majority of them are those that have graduated from the Pyongyang Technical College (the political college of the National Security Agency) and are technicians who are well-trained in mobile signal detection. The people who are actually working the fields are trainees of the graduating class in the political college. In order to be stationed in the city after graduation, they have to produce good results of their training period, so they are on guard to expose any incidents."

The source also quoted a cadre of the Security Agency in North Pyongan Province, "The members of the Security Agency's political college have created two to three member teams to participate in the regulation activities. When they capture the usage of mobile phones, they first encircle the area, then seize the mobile phone user through a surprise attack.

He also relayed the statement of a cadre, "Not too long ago, two mobile phone users were arrested by the mobile phone search team. From now on, it will be virtually impossible to use mobile phones within Shinuiju."

In contrast to the regulation of mobile phone usage in the North Korean-Chinese border region, the Tokyo Shimbun reported on the 18th that mobile phone usage will be permitted in Pyongyang starting the 4th.

The Shimbun reported by quoting the words of a related person of North Korea in Beijing and relayed, "It [North Korea] is planning to expand mobile phone use in other regions one by one."

The North Korean government which allowed the use of mobile phones since November 2002 in places such as Pyongyang officially prohibited usage after an accident involving an explosion at the Yongcheon Station in April 2004.