A North Korean woman in her 20s from Musan County, North Hamgyong Province, has been released after detention and severe torture for a month by the State Security Department (SSD). Reportedly, her only crime was that she was related to a defector. This development comes as the regime steps up its oppressive measures against families of defectors in its attempts to strengthen control and surveillance of the border area.
“The provincial SSD arrested a woman in her 20s under the accusation that she could not have earned a lot of money from farming alone. The security agents tortured her for a month, ordering her to ‘disclose where the money came from,’” a source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on November 30.
“She was released after a month because they couldn’t determine that a crime had been committed, but she is as good as dead after receiving severe beatings,” the source added.
According to the source, an aunt of the woman was also detained and interrogated for the same reason in April, but unfortunately lost her life after enduring torture for ten days. The family has no avenue of recourse against the SSD, as any such attempt would have them branded as ‘traitors.’
“At the time, the SSD alleged that she died of ‘illness.’ This time, the SSD stated it was a ‘reasonable punishment’ although the innocent woman was almost beaten to death,” the source noted.
“(The authorities) are alleging that family members of defectors are disguised spies that are conducting clandestine operations with money provided by the South Korean government. The security agents are said to be trying to force family members to confess,” a separate source in the same province said.
The authorities have historically placed heavy surveillance on the families of defectors and monitoring their property gains, ostensibly to prevent further defections. The explanation that capital gains have been earned through business is not accepted.
“The SSD has confiscated all the corn (5 tons) that the woman owned and distributed it to the security agents. Residents are criticizing the regime, saying, ‘They are only tormenting the weak while themselves committing crimes’,” she concluded.
