In order to block would-be defectors and sensitive internal information from escaping North Korea, Kim Jong Un has
handed down new punitive measures for those using illegal Chinese mobile
phones.
“The order has come down to treat Chinese cell phone users
as traitors who have colluded with the South Joseon (South Korea) puppet state
and participated in their schemes. Those who connect via phone with South Korea
are even eligible for the death penalty. This threat has produced a gloomy atmosphere
in the area near the Chinese border,” a source in North Hamgyong Province told
Daily NK.
Sources in Ryanggang and South Hamgyong Provinces
corroborated this news.
Lately, she continued, the State Security Department (SSD)
has been dispatching experts with state of the art equipment to conduct
surveillance and monitoring through wiretapping. They have been collaborating
with Bureau 27 (Transmission Surveillance Bureau) in order to trace mobile phone signal direction and origin. Once the signal is located, they deploy Chinese
military trucks and motorbikes to swiftly apprehend the offenders.
According to the source, North Korean authorities have
determined that their failure to prevent incidents such as the recent defection
in North Hamgyong Province Hoeryong City is due to their inability to block out
information networks. In other words, Kim Jong Un is concerned that the
possibility of making foreign telephone calls has a knock-on effect that spurs
defection rates.
In relation to this, Kim Jong Un issued an order to
thoroughly block the usage of Chinese cellphones in January of 2014. Those who
admitted their wrongdoing were promised forgiveness; however, those who were
caught after the order was put in effect were threatened with being sent to a
labor camp, kindling an atmosphere of dread.
Despite the regime’s promise of clemency, no residents
stepped forward to admit past wrongdoing. Those who were caught with the
illegal phones avoided punishment by bribing the officials who initially
apprehended them. The current order appears to be much stronger than the
ineffective one from the past, the source said, noting, “Enforcement appeared
to tighten up around the time of the Party Congress in early May.”
In addition to the latest crackdown, electronic jamming
signals are being used to corrupt the audio quality of foreign calls that
manage to connect. Many phone calls are suddenly disconnected, according to the
source. Furthermore, the bribe price one needs to pay to escape prosecution has
jumped in proportion to the rising severity of the infraction. Consequently,
residents are keeping international phone calls as short as possible.
But how much has the bribe price actually risen? When asked
about this, the source explained, “In the past, residents had to pay
approximately 5,000-10,000 yuan.
Now, it is hard to get out of the situation even if one pays four times that
amount. It feels like a
gunless, 21st century battlefield out here.”
She added, “Residents have no ability to protest this order
and are doing their best to avoid detection. Those who earn their living
through such things as smuggling rely on Chinese cellphones and have complained
that it’s become even harder to make a living.”
