Mick Hartley

The latest on North Korea's continuing crackdown on "anti-socialist" activity. They're trying some carrot along with the stick.

With the Fourth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee scheduled for the end of the year, North Korea is reportedly launching an all-out propaganda and agitation effort in support of an intensive “struggle” against anti-socialist and non-socialist behavior.

According to a Daily NK source in Yanggang Province on Thursday, the authorities have been holding monthly lectures in regions along the Sino-North Korean border since July encouraging individuals to turn themselves in and confess if they have engaged in said behavior.

Lectures also restarted this month in places throughout the province, including Hyesan and Pochon County.

Given that most residents along the Sino-North Korean border have watched South Korean films or TV programs, used Chinese-made mobile phones or been involved in money remittances, the lectures reportedly tried to induce people to turn themselves in and confess, labeling their behavior as “reactionary.”

In particular, the central point of the lectures was that all people should actively take part in the confession program with a high sense of public awareness, knowing full well North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s “policy of lenience.”

In fact, lecture materials obtained by Daily NK began with a quote by Kim, who said “just as a mother does not abandon a troublesome child, officials should embrace and educate even people who commit crimes,” bringing them back into the party’s fold.

This appears to be an inducement strategy aimed at continued signs that locals are leaking internal information overseas and bringing in content from outside the country. The authorities are apparently aware that strengthened crackdowns and punishments cannot completely stop this trend.

Based on the principle that they will “forgive you the first time,” authorities also seemingly intend to promote Kim’s “love for the people” and to induce actual action.

The lecture materials said that although many people got a new start on life after confessing their crimes, others continue to engage in wrongdoing, doubting state policy and refusing to confess.

The lecture materials also attempted to generate a climate of fear by introducing cases such as one of a high school student in Kapsan County who received a “stern judgment” after he was busted for watching 14 television programs from the “puppet state (South Korea)” on a USB card he had illegally purchased.

This appears aimed at swaying the minds of locals who are engaged in similar behavior, a strategy that plays on their belief that they can be forgiven if they confess.

Because of this, there have also been actual confessions. In late September, a woman in her 40s in Wiyon-dong, Hyesan – identified by her family name of Choe – confessed to a security officer that she had watched South Korean films and TV programs, turning over the USB.

However, the security officer in question – looking to produce actual results – reported the matter to the city branch of the Ministry of State Security. Choe underwent two months of questioning and was only recently released after she paid RMB 30,000 (about USD 4,700) to the investigator.

She certainly felt the benefit of Kim’s “love for the people”, poor woman.

The source said there are cases of the Ministry of State Security treating people who confess like animals, not citizens, so a growing number of people are refusing to confess. 

Good for them.