After Choi Sung Chol, a state security officer accused of violating the human rights of North Korean workers in Russia, was summoned to Pyongyang, two other state security agents in Russia were brought to Pyongyang for questioning at the Ministry of State Security, Daily NK has learned.
North Korean workers in Russia provided information about the state security agents who were recalled to Pyongyang, showing the significant impact of Daily NK’s reporting.
A high-ranking source inside North Korea told Daily NK recently that state security agent Han Kwang Jin (male, late 40s) was recalled to Pyongyang from Irkutsk in mid-January and that Song Myong Nam (male, mid-50s) was recalled from Vladivostok in late March.
While North Korea claimed the two agents had been summoned for a routine review, they were reportedly rushed onto a plane so abruptly they couldn’t pack their belongings—suggesting an arrest rather than a normal summons.
North Korea’s Ministry of State Security ordered managers to quietly gather reports from overseas workers in February 2024. Managers were even instructed to encourage workers to share grievances directly with them instead of contacting South Korean newspapers.
After Daily NK published an article in January 2024 accusing Choi Sung Chol of human rights violations based on tips from workers in Russia, North Korean authorities apparently sought ways to prevent similar incidents.
“When the Ministry of State Security reviewed workers’ reports, it found that agents’ corruption was worse than expected. Han Kwang Jin and Song Myong Nam were summoned because they were considered the most brutal agents in the field, given how frequently they were mentioned in workers’ reports,” the source said.
Little chance of punishment despite abundant evidence of corruption
Song Myong Nam extorted money and cigarettes from workers. When sick workers requested leave, Song would demand bribes, forcing them to hand over electronics or alcohol if they couldn’t afford to pay.
Han Kwang Jin was even more ruthless, following crews doing side jobs and taking a cut of their earnings. He reportedly even obtained a luxury car as a bribe from local construction brokers.
Han sent his accumulated earnings to his wife in Pyongyang, who used the money to buy several houses.
When Han’s corruption was exposed through tip-offs and he was summoned to the ministry, officials were stunned by his casual justification: “Everything is like that overseas. That’s just part of taking care of business,” he reportedly said.
Nevertheless, the source said neither Song nor Han is likely to face punishment because of their impeccable family connections.
“The two men’s family members and cousins are connected with senior officials on the Central Committee. Any attempt to punish them would trigger a flood of phone calls, causing problems at the Ministry of State Security. Their cases will probably be swept under the rug without any meaningful consequences,” the source said.
April 09, 2025 at 12:04PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)