[imText1]Mr. A, a defector who resides in Kangsuh-gu, Seoul is anxious. He has not heard from his family living in Onsung-gun, North Hamkyung province for a month now.
“We used to call once a week but now they do not call me. Looks like there is tight inspection. I wonder if anything has happened to them… I cannot call them though…”
Cellular phone connections are available in the cities close to the Sino-Korean border, thus you can make international calls as well. Most of such calls are one way calls from North Korea to the South. This is because you can answer the phone any time in South Korea, but you cannot in the North. You can get punished merely by possessing a Chinese made mobile phone.
Mr. A also sent a cellular phone to his family and checked on their well-being through it. Suddenly he is disconnected from them. It is not only Mr. A, but many defectors who have families in the border area who have become anxious for having been disconnected from their families.
“I would like to hire a person who can go in and check on my family, but they say now it has become harder to go in. I heard that they tightened the security due to the Avian Influenza (also known as Bird Flu), since then I cannot get in touch with my family,” said Mr. B, who lives in the same department as Mr. A. Mr. B’s family is in Huiryeong, with whom he cannot get in touch with for a month now.
“Beginning in the Year 2006, More Ghostly than Ever”
The regional “mood” on the Sino-Korean border is somewhat insecure.
First of all, Tighter Border Control and Avian Influenza (AI)
Because of the epidemics, the closed border is now more tightly controlled than ever. These days, bribing is not enough to cross the border.
“I used to hand over money to the border patrol with the promise that I would come back. Nowadays you cannot even do that. That is because if the person he allowed to cross gets caught by the inspection, he (the patrol) can also get in trouble. Going along with the mood until the security is relaxed seems to be the best solution.” (Mr. C, Korean descendent Chinese living Tumen).
Second, Gunshot Murder Incident
January 25. Gunshot incidents occurred concurrently. Unidentified people shot a gun towards North Korea from the other side of the border and ran away. Some other people crossed the border holding guns and when they were found, they stabbed the patrol and escaped.
“They say the inspection task force came down from the central to verify the situation. It may influence the people in general so it seems the government is carrying out the inspection in silence. Now the rumor is spreading that “there will be a war soon.” Although it is not verified who caused such incidents, considering that the gunshot incidents occurred on the same day at same time, in Onsung, Huiryeong, and Musan, the organized group seems to be a structuralized armed force.” (Mr. D, South Korean missionary in China.)
Third, Fliers Incident
Feb 10, Onsung-gun, North Hamkyung province, anti-Kim Jong Il flyers that read, “Stand Kim Jong Il Upside Down” were found near the Wangje Mt. Grand Monument. The North Korean government were on an emergency situation, picking them up. The incident called for much attention because Wangje Mt. is a site constructed to commemorate Kim Il Sung’s resistance against Japanese colonialism where Kim Il Sung’s statue and Grand Monument are located, and because it occurred a few days before Kim Jong Il’s birthday (Feb 16).
“All of sudden there are so many people who are cut off from connection with their families in North Korea. It is not known whether it is due to the extensive security control or because of the mood, people themselves cut off contact themselves. There has been a news that extensive security control is underway in North Pyongan regions, so there is a high possibility that it is also taking place in North Hamkyung regions. Although such inspections took place at the start of every year to set the public order, it seems it is tighter than ever this year.” (anonymous government officer)
Mr. E, who says he got in touch with his family recently said he heard from his family that there is a rare epidemic called “trotter disease” going around. Although what it is exactly is unknown, Mr. E said, “My family told me that it seems like an epidemic that makes people’s feet rot.”
With the tightened control, Avian Influenza, unknown epidemics and gunshots, the Sino-Korean border areas seem more brutal than ever.
