Surveillance of North Korean defectors’ relatives by security agencies is intensifying. One defector’s family attempted to travel to the border region for a relative’s wedding but had to turn back after being followed by security agents.
“A defector’s family from Hamhung was headed to Hoeryong, North Hamgyong province, on March 22 for a relative’s wedding, but turned back when they realized security agents were following them,” a Daily NK source in South Hamgyong province said recently.
Defectors’ families who remain in North Korea are treated as “dangerous elements” and face much heavier surveillance than ordinary citizens. They’re often denied travel papers to visit regions outside their homes, with travel to border regions being particularly restricted.
Security agencies monitor them closely because they might attempt to defect themselves or engage in prohibited activities like receiving outside information or foreign remittances when visiting border areas.
The Hamhung family—from an interior city—was tailed by security agents for this reason.
According to the source, the family was informed in advance about their relative’s wedding in Hoeryong and began applying for travel papers in January. Despite struggles, they eventually received the documents.
However, with security agents shadowing them from departure to arrival, they ultimately returned to Hamhung without attending the wedding. They went home to avoid making their relatives uncomfortable or causing problems on such an important day.
“Their neighbors later heard about what happened and felt sorry for them,” the source said. “People commented that they must have felt terrible returning without attending after working so hard to get travel papers, that North Koreans can’t even attend family events if they’re related to defectors, and that having relatives who defected shouldn’t be treated as such a serious crime.”
Defectors’ relatives struggle to obtain travel papers and can’t even attend family gatherings in peace due to excessive surveillance, the source added.
“These people live in an invisible prison, constantly anxious because everything they do is being watched. This surveillance and pressure causes severe psychological pain,” the source explained.
“One defector’s family described their difficulties, saying they must live their entire lives feeling like criminals from the moment they’re branded as having a defector relative. They gradually began avoiding people because having every breath, meal, and word monitored and reported became unbearable.”
April 02, 2025 at 06:00AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)