North Korea has warned its trading officials in China to guard against information leaks amid concerns over Chinese surveillance.
According to a source in North Korea, the state security bureau at North Korea’s diplomatic mission to China issued instructions on Dec. 7 to major traders operating in Beijing and Shenyang, warning them to protect their personal information. The Ministry of State Security quietly informed these traders that they had become targets of covert investigations by their Chinese counterpart agency, also called the Ministry of State Security (MSS).
The source revealed that China’s MSS has been gathering detailed intelligence about prominent North Korean traders in both cities, including their educational background, career history, previous positions, family connections, overseas contacts, and financial status.
“The ministry’s warning specifically outlined the scope of MSS investigations,” the source said. “The Chinese agency is analyzing not only the traders’ official work but also unofficial orders, project details, phone records, movements, and areas of interest. They’re even trying to access personal bank account balances.”
The ministry believes China is attempting to distinguish between the traders’ official roles and actual activities, prompting calls for stricter adherence to security protocols. The Chinese intelligence agency appears to be conducting close surveillance of major North Korean traders’ activities to identify potential national security threats.
Traders have been instructed to maintain strict security measures and exercise caution in their relationships with Chinese contacts from year-end through early 2025 to prevent trade information leaks. This directive has caused considerable anxiety among major traders in both cities.
“One North Korean trader has started avoiding us following orders from above. Others have scaled back their year-end activities or changed their Chinese phone numbers to cut off unnecessary contacts,” said a Chinese individual involved in North Korean trade.
Within North Korea, opinions vary about how this Chinese intelligence gathering might affect economic cooperation and diplomatic relations between the two countries. Given North Korea’s heavy reliance on China for foreign trade, many believe China is attempting to establish systematic control over North Korean trading activities.
“The ministry interprets China’s efforts to monitor and control North Korea’s economic activities as suggesting they might try to recruit traders as spies,” the source said. “The diplomatic mission has instructed its security agents to take all necessary measures to protect the traders.”
December 23, 2024 at 05:30AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)