North Korean State Security Department [SSD] officials in
North Hamgyung Province are said to be reaching out to families of those who
have defected to South Korea in an effort to lure them back into the North. Agents from the SSD are closely monitoring family members of
defectors with good songbun [family political background and loyalty]–at times
reaching out– but at others, threatening them, according to a source there. This comes amid numerous other attempts by the North Korean authorities to see re-defector numbers rise.
“They have stepped up their strategic efforts to persuade
people, including monitoring specific family members of defectors,” Daily NK’s
source in North Hamgyung Province reported on September 12th, adding, “Members of
the SSD are continually visiting homes of the defectors to try to get the
escapees to return.”
Since late last year to spring of this year, North Korea had
expelled some family members of defectors at border area screenings because
they believed those members were leaking information from the North. However,
more recently, this has no longer been the case; instead, the authorities have
stepped up monitoring of families.
The source went on to report that agents have been making frequent
visits to the homes of defectors under the pretense of delivering newly issued
Party membership cards. During these visitations, they have at times forced
family members to call those who have defected South in order to add clout to
their threats.
“Personnel from the provincial SSD’s anti-espionage
unit have been making frequent
visits recently to this one home,” he explained. “There are widespread rumors
that when officials visit to deliver newly issued membership cards, they say
‘tell your family members who have defected to come back when you next speak to
them on the phone.’”
These agents have threatened the families left behind in the
North, warning, “We know everything you have said over the phone with those
over there [in South Korea].” The source elaborated that the authorities have
even employed appeasement tactics for the same purpose, “There’s no point in
trying to cheat you. We have no intention of punishing them and will forgive
them, if they return and are sorry for what they have done.” Similar tactics have been exercised at recent inminban [people’s unit] meetings, as previously reported by Daily NK in August.
“One resident in Hamheung said they were forced to speak
with one of their family members who had defected after an official at the SSD
called them in South Korea and ordered them to do so,” he reported.
“Fortunately nothing bad came of it, but the person in question suffered from
severe anxiety as the event unfolded.”
The SSD is honing in on family members of defectors who once
held more prominent positions in society, or those with good songbun. This is
because if they do manage to bring back some of these defectors with this
carrot and stick approach, the respective SSD unit can gain points over others.
People with defectors in their families have no choice but to watch each and
every step they make, while keeping an even closer eye and on movements from
the SSD personnel.
Since Kim Jong Eun took power, North Korean security forces
have strengthened monitoring, crackdowns, and border control in order to
prevent people from defecting. At
the same time, they have also used family members as a tool to try to force
those who have escaped to return. This latest measure comes as part of that
effort; it is likely they will use defectors from prominent bloodlines who
decide to return for propaganda purposes–condemning South Korea and attempting to
bolster support from a population growing ever more distrustful of those in power.
