The latest move among North Korea’s perennial efforts to preclude defections, the authorities are making the
attainment of travel certificates and procedures required to enter border areas far more complex.
“The procedure for getting travel
certificates from the local MPS [Ministry of People’s
Security] units of provinces, cities or counties has changed significantly,” a source in Yangkang province reported to Daily NK on March 3rd. “In the past, those who wanted to enter border areas could obtain travel papers from the city or county MPS units, but
from this point on, they will only be issued at the No. 2 MPS provincial offices.”
Approval codes for travel to and from
heavily restricted areas, namely border regions and Pyongyang, were typically
issued from the municipal and provincial No.2 MPS units in the past, but are now
only available from provincial No.2 MPS units, only one of which is located in each province,
according to the source. A dearth of reliable transportation options makes the trip to these facilities exceedingly difficult for most.
“State-run enterprises have held meetings
repeatedly demanding that employees avoid travel to border areas unless
absolutely necessary,” he explained. “MPS agents at the enterprises have even been threatening workers, saying that those who do try to make the trip to these areas are setting themselves up
to become automatic targets for increased surveillance.”
The upshot of the measure, according of the
source, is yet another effort in the perpetual struggle by the state to eradicate
rampant corruption among the provincial No. 2 MPS units, who indiscriminately issue travel
certificates to residents willing and able to provide the requisite bribes. Documentation permitting travel to border areas results in an increase in residents trying to flee the country.
“City and county-level factories have to go
through a separate procedure at the provincial office now, a convoluted
process exacerbated by the officials there, generally trying to take advantage of
the situation or being unhelpful. As a result, many have just given up trying
to apply at all,” the source said.
Residents are naturally distressed about yet
another obstacle constructed by the state to exhibit total control over its population. Still, most point out that the move will fail to achieve the intended effects, saying, “People determined to defect are going to do so regardless of how
complicated they try to make getting a travel certificate to border areas. Besides, they don’t need those trivial papers–with money there is always a way.”
