Remittance brokers operating near North Korea’s border are shaking down the families of North Korean defectors, extorting money from people who recently received funds from relatives abroad.
A source in Ryanggang province told Daily NK on Tuesday that some brokers in Hyesan have been returning to families weeks after delivering remittances, showing previously recorded videos as proof of the transaction and threatening to report them to state security authorities unless they hand over cash. The State Information Bureau (SIB), formerly known as the Ministry of State Security, is North Korea’s primary domestic counterintelligence and political surveillance agency, and the mere mention of its involvement is enough to paralyze most families with fear.
“They show the video of the family receiving money and threaten that if it gets to the SIB, they’ll face serious punishment,” the source said. “The families don’t know whether it’s true or not, but they’re too scared to refuse — so they pay up.”
Brokers who facilitate cross-border remittances typically record short videos or audio clips of the recipient counting or acknowledging the money as proof of delivery. According to the source, some brokers have begun weaponizing these records as blackmail material.
Extortion on the spot
In one case documented earlier this month in Hyesan, a family received a remittance through a broker and about two weeks later was visited again. The broker showed them the delivery video and demanded 3,000 Chinese yuan (approximately $412), warning that the footage could land them in serious trouble with the SIB. Fearing the consequences, the family paid without resistance.
A similar incident was reported in Samsu county, Ryanggang province. A family there had received 10,000 Chinese yuan (approximately $1,374) from a broker in late 2025. Several months later, in late March, the broker returned claiming that the SIB already knew about the transaction and that a bribe was needed to make the problem go away. The family, gripped by anxiety, borrowed money from relatives to meet the broker’s demand.
In a more brazen case on April 4, a family in Kimjongsuk county received 7,000 Chinese yuan (approximately $962) from a broker, who recorded both video and audio of the handover. The broker then immediately demanded the entire amount back, telling the family, “The SIB knows I came to your house. Let’s settle this quietly now rather than have you dragged around later.” The family complied on the spot.
The source described the incident as daylight robbery. “The family was in total shock,” the source said. “The money was sent so they could eat. They lost everything and now live in fear of when the next problem will come.”
According to the source, brokers have been systematically exploiting the anxiety that defector families harbor about state surveillance. “Brokers are saying things like, ‘The SIB knows everything’ and ‘You need to pay now to stop this,’” the source said. “Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter to the families. They’re too afraid of things escalating, so they just give in.”
Reporting from inside North Korea
Daily NK operates networks of sources inside North Korea who document events in real-time and transmit information through secure channels. Unlike reporting based on state media, satellite imagery, or defector accounts from years past, our journalism comes directly from people currently living under the regime. We verify reports through multiple independent sources and cross-reference details before publication.
Our sources remain anonymous because contact with foreign media is treated as a capital offense in North Korea — discovery means imprisonment or execution. This network-based approach allows Daily NK to report on developments other outlets cannot access: market trends, policy implementation, public sentiment, and daily realities that never appear in official narratives.
Maintaining these secure communication channels and protecting source identities requires specialized protocols and constant vigilance. Daily NK serves as a bridge between North Koreans and the outside world, documenting what’s happening inside one of the world’s most closed societies.
April 16, 2026 at 02:10AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)