Choi Sung Chol, the North Korean security official Daily NK exposed for his abuse of North Korean workers sent to Russia in a whistleblower report in late January, remains in charge of North Korean workers in the Russian city of Irkutsk.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Daily NK source in Russia said recently that Choi continues to oversee major construction projects in the Irkutsk region, manage the payment of state foreign currency quotas and supervise worker movement.
In short, Choi remains openly active in Russia even though seven months have passed since his misbehavior — including shaking down workers for money — was exposed based on a tip from a laborer.
“North Korea believes that transferring or recalling an official based on the enemies’ words is to be taken in by the enemy’s schemes,” the source said. North Korea does not appear to recognize the seriousness of the problem, regarding the exposé of Choi’s misdeeds as an “enemy scheme.”
“The authorities are sticking to the principle that they can replace an official only when their term is up or they take some other special measure,” the source said. “The perception that they cannot ignore a war of nerves with laborers for overseas foreign currency earning activities to run smoothly also had an impact.”
The source said the North Korean authorities pegged several laborers — not just one — as the whistleblower and repatriated them to their homeland.
“It was a preemptive measure to warn laborers that tipping the press is a challenge to the security agencies and an act of treason,” he said.
State security agency intensifies surveillance of workers
Meanwhile, the matter was reportedly concluded internally within the Ministry of State Security without being reported to the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
“They probably thought if they reported it to the Central Committee, it would look like they were admitting the charges were right,” the source said. “The recent trend has been to investigate and handle problems that arise internally and to avoid reporting matters of concern as much as possible.”
However, the Ministry of State Security — labeling the whistleblower “disgusting human scum” — crafted a plan to completely stop other potential whistleblowers by intensifying surveillance of laborers.
That being said, the negative feelings workers on the scene have about Choi are reportedly impacting his internal evaluation within the Ministry of State Security.
“Choi has had his wings clipped,” the source said. “The Ministry of State Security has quietly accepted the workers’ view that Choi is a bloodsucker who steals money, and Choi might be punished on this basis if public opinion worsens.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.
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