The Ministry of State Security (MSS) has targeted a defector’s family living in North Korea to extort money, forcing the defector to sever all ties with them.
Kim Min Suk (alias) is the target, a woman in her 50s born in North Hamgyong Province who relocated to South Korea five years ago.
Last September, while Mrs. Kim was talking with her son (a Mr. Ri, alias) on a phone that had been bought in China, the MSS suddenly stormed into his house and arrested him.
The MSS subjected Mr. Ri to torture after gathering evidence they had collected from wiretapping his phone, and also arrested his sister (Ri Yong Mi, alias) as well. Ms. Ri was later released but Mr. Ri remained in custody.
“We know your mother is living in South Korea,” the MSS told Ms. Ri when she was released. “Tell her that unless she sends us $3,000, you and your brother will be thrown in jail for a very long time.”
Mrs. Kim combined the money she had saved working at a restaurant in South Korea with loans from friends and sent $5,000 to a broker in China.
After sending the money, she told her daughter, “Because of our relationship you and your brother were put into a very dangerous situation. Even if your brother makes it out of prison, never try and contact me again. From now on we are not family anymore. Have a good life,” before hanging up the phone.
“I was sending money every now and again that I had saved working here to my family back in North Korea,” Mrs. Kim told Daily NK.
“I never imagined that the MSS would threaten my family like that. My oldest son finished studying abroad in China to be a doctor and had returned to North Korea, so I thought there would be nothing but green pastures for him in life. However, because of the MSS, in the space of a single day I had to end my relationship with my family.”
There have been increasing reports of the MSS extorting defectors living in South Korea by using their family in North Korea as hostages.
One defector living in Seoul told Daily NK on condition of anonymity, “North Korea must be hurting for money right now. The amount of defector family hostage extortion cases is on the rise. Most defectors are barely making ends meet working as dayworkers or performing simple labor, so when they are faced with having to pay a ransom to the MSS to save their family in North Korea, many will often be forced to take loans and go into debt.”
*Translated by Brian Boyle
