The State Emergency Anti-epidemic Command has unveiled plans to pay rewards to citizens who report infractions of quarantine regulations, Daily NK has learned.
According to a Daily NK source in North Hamgyong Province on Monday, the State Emergency Anti-epidemic Command recently issued an order to regional emergency anti-epidemic commands calling for “evaluations” of individuals who report violations of quarantine violations, as well as “timely and thorough” processing of those who turn themselves in and confess.
The State Emergency Anti-epidemic Command said in the order that it would “ensure” cash rewards or daily necessities worth KPW 1 million to KPW 3 million to people who report individuals for illegally crossing the border, pilfering quarantine supplies, selling fake medical goods or smuggling, as well as to those who discover and report “enemy items,” i.e., leaflets and other things from South Korea.
The source said that although the authorities had previously offered rewards of KPW 100,000 to KPW 500,000 to people who reported quarantine violations in June of last year, few tips actually came in, prompting the authorities to jack up the reward to improve its effectiveness.
In fact, only three locals reportedly tipped off the authorities about quarantine violations in the city of Hoeryong last year. However, with the tipsters having to wait months to receive their rewards, local faith dropped in the reward program, which fell into disregard.
Moreover, North Koreans reportedly hold tipsters in low regard, too, with informants being ostracized by their neighbors and fellow neighborhood watch unit residents when their identities became obvious.
Nevertheless, the State Emergency Anti-epidemic Command stressed in its order that the emergency quarantine effort was a “sacred duty” and important activity that citizens must consciously keep.
“It’s a very important effort that not only stops the virus, but also determines victory or defeat in the fight against the enemy,” it said. “Everyone must come together to report and self-confess phenomena that violate emergency anti-epidemic regulations.”
North Korea is thus trying to induce people to actively report violations with big rewards. However, this is reportedly having little impact on people’s thinking.
“The authorities boosted the reward by several fold, but most people remain apathetic,” said the source. “If you report or confess violations, the authorities should praise you and overlook your faults. But instead, you’ve got to undergo an intensive investigation by the Ministry of State Security, so everyone is shunning the award system, no matter how good the conditions are.
“The State Emergency Anti-epidemic Command stressed in the order that it would give big rewards to those who report smuggling or contact with enemy items,” he continued, adding, “This appears aimed at once again putting residents of border regions on alert as their desire to continue emergency quarantine efforts slackens.”
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