North Korea’s state security department has taken an ultra-hardline stance against “counterrevolutionary acts” at munitions factories in Jagang province earlier this year.
Families of security officers at munitions factories circulated a report titled “Handling of Counterrevolutionary Elements in the Defense-Industry Sector in the Province during the First Half of 2025,” according to a Daily NK source in Jangang province recently.
The report, which the province’s State Security Bureau had submitted to the Ministry of State Security on June 20, sent shockwaves throughout the region.
The report shows that in the first half of this year, 23 workers at munitions factories in Kanggye, Songgan county, Huichon and Manpo were executed, sent to political prison camps or given life sentences. In some cases, family members were also punished under collective responsibility and expelled from their homes.
The report includes detailed accounts of each case, personal information about those punished and the specific laws under which they were charged. It also outlines the investigation process, preliminary hearing and trial procedures.
“The province’s State Security Bureau carried out the punishments alone, with only the Ministry of State Security’s approval, and in complete secrecy,” the source said. “It was a meticulously planned operation under direct orders from the central government.”
Inspections leave no stone unturned
The crackdown stems directly from Kim Jong Un’s directive issued in March and April to “thoroughly suppress anti-party and counterrevolutionary elements.” Jagang’s defense-industry sector was designated as the first inspection target, and the province’s State Security Bureau conducted systematic inspections, reporting exclusively to the state security department.
The inspections uncovered a range of offenses: bringing in and sharing outside information, hoarding South Korean video storage devices, spreading rumors, falsifying production figures, embezzling supplies and bartering them for personal gain. One official was even punished merely for saying he didn’t trust the party’s defense-industry policy.
The revelations sent shockwaves through local communities and caused significant unrest inside the factories. Some workers tried to secure transfers by submitting medical certificates, while others simply walked off the job without permission.
“As of the second quarter of 2025, output at five key munitions factories in Jagang province fell by an average of 14.9 percent compared to the same period last year,” the source said. “If this climate of fear continues, chronic shortages of skilled workers could seriously undermine our defense production targets.”
Factory managers and technicians say the brutal punishments have created a chilling atmosphere on the shop floor. One technician said, “These days, avoiding trouble with the security bureau matters more than showing any technical creativity.”
Highly unusual crackdown
Lee Seung Ju, a political scientist and profiler with the Transitional Justice Working Group, told Daily NK that such harsh repression is highly unusual for Jagang province, which has historically been home to deeply loyal individuals.
“It appears the authorities imposed the severest punishments to root out the underground influx of South Korean culture and prevent any resulting instability,” Lee said. “This clearly shows that the regime still views South Korean cultural influence as a serious threat.”
She added that the case demonstrates how the Ministry of State Security’s role in protecting Kim Jong Un’s regime has been further strengthened, reflecting the leader’s firm resolve.
“With systematic human rights abuses against ordinary citizens continuing, the South Korean government and international community must urgently step up monitoring and response efforts,” she emphasized.
Translated by Kyungmin Kim.
