North Korean authorities have begun collecting citizen feedback regarding the country’s decision to join Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“The Sariwon police department has instructed neighborhood offices throughout the city to have locals submit essays detailing their thoughts and feelings about our entrance into the war,” a source in North Hwanghae province told Daily NK recently.
Citizens ordered to share “honest” feelings
This effort appears designed to test public sentiment following the regime’s official acknowledgment of troop deployment to fight alongside Russia against Ukraine. The confirmation came through a written statement issued by the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea on April 28.
According to the source, Sariwon police directed neighborhood watch unit leaders to relay the essay submission orders without additional commentary.
These neighborhood watch unit leaders received explicit instructions not to provide citizens with any guidance on what to write, as the essays are meant to capture genuine opinions and reactions.
“The police have specified that people should share their honest feelings in essays ranging from one to three pages, with an additional single-page essay required from each family,” the source explained. “The family essay must be signed not only by the household head but by all adult family members officially registered at that residence. Police have instructed neighborhood watch unit leaders to communicate only these requirements without making any further remarks.
“The primary goal is to understand how families feel about their sons being sent to the battlefield,” the source continued. “The police explained that the party needs citizens to express their candid feedback (about the Ukraine war) to provide foundational data for shaping future ideological policies for provincial residents.”
Responses may be used to create future propaganda campaigns
While city police claimed the essay initiative was organized at the provincial level rather than nationwide, people suspect the directive actually originated from central government authorities, doubting that provincial officials would launch such a project independently.
According to the source, citizens view this as a special government effort to evaluate ideological attitudes under the guise of opinion gathering, with results likely to inform future political and propaganda campaigns.
“People have until May 16 to submit their essays. Neighborhood watch unit leaders are responsible for collecting completed essays from each household without holding any separate meetings or group discussions. The essays will subsequently be compiled at neighborhood offices before being transferred to city police,” the source said.
“It’s impossible to predict how people will address the war in their essays, which will presumably be forwarded to the Central Committee regardless of their content and format,” the source added.
