North Korean authorities have intensified surveillance of neighborhood watch units at the border with China, with particularly harsh monitoring of individuals designated as “dangerous elements,” Daily NK has learned.
“In Hoeryong, surveillance of those labeled as criminals or dangerous elements has recently become more severe,” a source in North Hamgyong province told Daily NK on Monday. “Even without doing anything wrong, they can’t escape constant monitoring in their daily lives.”
The authorities maintain lists of potential criminals deemed “dangerous elements,” tracking their movements through police officers and informants. These lists typically include relatives of North Korean defectors, users of Chinese mobile phones, former prisoners, failed defectors, and soldiers discharged early for misconduct.
The regime considers these individuals potential threats, subjecting them to intense scrutiny. On Dec. 28, when a defector’s relative in Hoeryong traveled six kilometers to visit family, they were followed the entire way by a neighbor serving as a police informant.
“The informant tracked and documented the person’s activities on police orders,” the source said.
Another Hoeryong resident, previously detained for using Chinese mobile phones, reported being unable to make a call on Dec. 27 due to surveillance. Finding locations with strong signals for Chinese phones has become nearly impossible under constant monitoring.
The heightened surveillance coincides with year-end police performance reviews in the border city. “Local officers have intensified monitoring on orders from above,” the source explained. “Facing harsh criticism for poor results, they often exceed requirements to avoid negative reviews.”
This increased surveillance has expanded beyond listed individuals, with ordinary citizens now facing scrutiny for routine activities like visiting someone classified as a dangerous element.
“Nobody can escape surveillance anymore,” the source said. “The intensifying controls are causing widespread anxiety.”
A Hoeryong remittance broker in their 40s described the psychological toll: “Using Chinese phones always carried arrest risks, but now we’re constantly followed and must check for surveillance before leaving home. I have nightmares about being followed. Living this way is affecting my already poor health – I worry I won’t survive this naturally.”
January 09, 2025 at 08:05AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)