North Korean police officers have received new orders to abandon desk duties and increase neighborhood patrols. The directive marks a significant escalation in North Korea’s domestic surveillance efforts as the regime seeks to tighten control over its population amid growing economic inequality.
A source in North Hamgyong province reported that police bureau officials held emergency meetings with neighborhood station commanders in late May 2025. The message was clear: officers must spend only one day per week on administrative tasks, with Saturdays designated for office work.
Since May 1, police officers in major cities including Hoeryong and Chongjin have been conducting daily patrols and unannounced home visits. Officers are systematically checking each neighborhood watch unit for:
- Living conditions and household income
- Contact with foreign nationals or outsiders
- Presence of “non-socialist elements”
- Signs of illegal business activities
N. Korean citizens express frustration over increased surveillance
The enhanced surveillance measures have drawn criticism from North Koreans who view the visits as unwelcome intrusions into their daily lives.
“These home visits don’t help us one bit in our daily lives,” said one Hoeryong resident. “We know exactly what they’re really for—spying on us. It makes the whole situation incredibly uncomfortable.”
Similar complaints have emerged from Chongjin, where locals described the increased police presence using Korean idioms about living under constant threat. Many citizens interpret the patrols as psychological pressure tactics designed to maintain fear and compliance.
The intensified police activity appears linked to North Korean authorities’ concerns about rising economic inequality and potential social unrest. Intelligence sources indicate that both state security officers and regular police are now monitoring families whose spending exceeds their official government salaries.
Daily NK previously reported that North Korean border police have been tracking citizens’ income and spending patterns, particularly targeting individuals who have accumulated wealth through illegal business activities. The regime views these newly wealthy citizens as potential threats to political stability.
“There’s a huge gap opening up between people who’ve gotten rich through underground business and everyone else,” explained a source familiar with the situation. “The authorities are ramping up surveillance because they’re worried this inequality could spark real discontent.”
Growing wealth inequality contradicts socialist ideology
The expanded police patrols highlight the growing contradiction between North Korea’s official socialist ideology and economic reality. While government propaganda promotes North Korea as an egalitarian society, the regime’s actions reveal deep concerns about wealth disparities.
“The government keeps telling us we live in a socialist paradise where everyone’s equal, unlike capitalist countries where only the powerful live well,” observed the source. “But as the wealth gap grows, they’re deploying more secret police and regular officers to monitor us.”
