Police in Anju, North Pyongan province, are facing public outrage over their tepid investigation of a fatal hit-and-run, Daily NK has learned.
A woman in her 50s was killed in early February near Anju University of Engineering, according to a source in the province recently. The victim, a single mother of two, was found dead at the scene by a passerby who alerted authorities.
Ten days have elapsed without police identifying any suspects.
Investigators cite the accident’s location in a low-traffic area with no surveillance cameras as major obstacles.
“Cities like Pyongsong have security cameras around apartments and streets. But Anju is smaller, with barely any surveillance. When accidents happen in camera blind spots, drivers sometimes just disappear,” the source explained.
North Korean law mandates vehicle impoundment and up to five years of hard labor for fatal hit-and-runs under Articles 78 and 179 of the Road Transport Act.
However, the country’s limited surveillance infrastructure makes catching hit-and-run drivers particularly challenging.
With no evidence pointing to the driver’s identity, the case appears unlikely to be solved.
“They have nothing to go on – no plate number, not even the type of vehicle. Finding the culprit would be nearly impossible,” the source said.
“The city police know how slim their chances are, which explains their half-hearted investigation.”
Local residents are expressing growing frustration with law enforcement’s apparent indifference.
“What’s the point of having police and laws if they can’t catch one hit-and-run driver?” one person complained.
Others were more cynical: “They’re dragging their feet because the victim was just an ordinary woman with no connections.” “If there was something in it for them, they’d have found someone to blame by now, guilty or not.”
The unresolved case has especially dire implications for the victim’s children. In North Korea, traffic accident victims typically rely on compensation from the responsible driver – an impossibility when the driver remains unidentified.
“One of the orphaned children is still in their teens and hadn’t learned how to be self-sufficient. The community is heartbroken over these kids suddenly losing their mother,” the source said.
February 21, 2025 at 06:02AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)