North Korean authorities have used a recent lecture to coax people who distribute or possess “illegal propaganda material” to hand in these materials to government agencies, amid a continued crackdown on the “non-socialist and anti-socialist phenomenon,” Daily NK has learned.
Daily NK recently obtained material from a political lecture for people in the Sino-North Korean border region entitled ”Eliminating all kinds of impure publications that harm our ideas, our system, and our destiny.”
The material states that “anyone who has stored, watched or distributed illegal propaganda material must turn themselves in to the appropriate agencies and legal institutions” and “the person [who has committed these crimes] should confess their guilt and hand in the electronic media containing the impure propaganda material to the relevant institutions.”
Last year, North Korea enacted the “Anti-Reactionary Thought Law.” Since it was enacted, the authorities have mobilized various surveillance agencies in a severe crackdown against citizens of the country, who have faced harsh punishments if caught doing illegal acts.
Harsher punishments and crackdowns may have a temporary crime-reducing effect. Its preventative effect, however, is limited when crime goes further underground.
As a result, the North Korean authorities appear to be encouraging citizens of the country to turn themselves in because they consider it difficult to completely eliminate “illegal propaganda material” through harsh punishments and crackdowns alone.
The lecture material emphasizes “forgiveness and re-entering society” over punishments in an attempt to woo people to turn themselves in.
The material states that “we have to turn ourselves in for the crime of secretly viewing or distributing impure publications” and emphasized the need to “continue keeping [the materials] out of reach in order to rescue even one person from the enemy’s influence and ensure they join the revolutionary ranks.”
It further states that “the party abolishes guilt for all those who turn themselves in for the crime of viewing or distributing impure publication material such as puppet movies [movies from South Korea] in order to ensure they will have no problems in their social and political lives.”
The lecture also prompted citizens to be assertive in encouraging people they know to have consumed illegal materials to surrender themselves to the authorities.
The materials further states that “if any of your family members, relatives or friends have possessed, stored or distributed impure propaganda materials, you must enlighten them by reminding them to confess their mistakes honestly.”
The request for citizens of the country to encourage acquaintances who are in possession of illegal materials to surrender themselves can be interpreted as encouraging people to monitor each other.
Meanwhile, the North Korean authorities made it clear that people will face severe punishments if they are caught even while they encourage people to turn themselves in.
The lecture material emphasized that “plenty of people foolishly think that no one will find out their crimes of secretly watching and distributing illegal publications,” adding that “it is an act of self-destruction to reject the hand that offers to save them.”
*Translated by Vilde Olaussen
