A provincial Party secretary from a state-run enterprise in North Hamkyung Province was arrested by the local unit of the State Security Department [SSD] late last year for remarks he made after a year-end lecture, the Daily NK has learned.

¡°The secretary who was hosting the year-end workers¡¯ lecture at the Musan Mine was arrested by the SSD,¡± a source in the province told the Daily NK on Tuesday. ¡°After the lecture he is said to have complained about the teaching material, saying it was all ¡®a lie.¡¯¡±

There are roughly 24,000 Musan Mine workers operating in approximately six divisions. The secretary heads one of those divisions and was reported to the security department for saying under his breath after the lecture, ¡°I need to stop telling these lies,¡± according to the source.

The year-end teaching materials included a report on ¡°Results in various fields produced from Kim Jong Eun¡¯s guidance this year (2014) and goals for next year,¡± handed down from the Central Party¡¯s Propaganda and Agitation Department. It especially highlighted content saying ¡®next year along with improvements in the quality of life for the public, rations will be normalized.¡¯

Typically, teaching material produced by the central propaganda department differs depending on the recipient [cadres, the public, etc.] and is distributed to agencies and enterprises nationwide as critical documents. Toward the end of the year, material looking back on the achievements of the year in various fields and goals for the New Year is included. It is standard for a Party official or the manager of the company to lead the lecture him or herself. 

¡°Material on improving the livelihoods of people is handed out each year, but Party cadres have complained about it because of how far-fetched it is from reality,¡± the source explained. ¡°The officials leading the lectures are hesitant to present the material worrying they will be seen as liars, so some of them hand the job down to lower level workers.¡± 

¡°It's the first time a provincial party secretary at an enterprise has been arrested on site like this,¡± she went on. ¡°There is no news yet of the official being released. It¡¯s likely he is still being interrogated, and if they [security officials] decide to set an example, they might send him to a labor-training camp.¡±

Secretly, most sympathize with his predicament, according to the source, who said that among themselves, many residents have pointed out that the hapless official ¡°didn¡¯t actually say anything that¡¯s not true.¡±