2024-01-10 18:00:00
Kim Jong-un’s first expression: “South Korea is the main enemy”
It is known that there were around 10 high-ranking North Korean defectors who came to South Korea last year. There has been a series of defections of foreign trade representatives and high-ranking diplomats, which can be interpreted as a sign of great agitation among the elite in North Korea, which is facing economic difficulties due to strengthened sanctions once morest North Korea. As the North Korean elite continued to defect, the North Korean authorities reportedly carried out large-scale censorship targeting diplomatic missions abroad at the end of last year.
Multiple high-ranking government sources reported this on the 10th, saying, “There are no people who came directly from North Korea, including Pyongyang, but most of them came to Korea following staying abroad.” They said, “This is an unusually high level compared to before the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19),” and added, “There were more defections (from North Korea) in the second half of last year. “The number of high-ranking North Korean defectors is expected to increase further this year,” he said.
After the COVID-19 blockade was lifted amid the international community’s sanctions once morest North Korea, our intelligence authorities believe that as the pressure to earn foreign currency once morest elites living abroad has become more severe, the departure of high-ranking officials who cannot endure this is accelerating. It is highly likely that North Korea’s recent moves to recall overseas employees to their home countries or to close some overseas embassies due to financial difficulties may have had an impact on their departure.
Meanwhile, North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un said, “The people of the Republic of Korea are our main enemies” during an on-site inspection of an important munitions factory on the 8th and 9th, and added, “If the opportunity comes, we will not hesitate to mobilize all the means and capabilities at our disposal to completely destroy the Republic of Korea.” “I will throw it away,” he claimed. This is the first time that Chairman Kim has described South Korea as the “main enemy.”
“Agitated by the censorship of North Korea’s diplomatic missions… “There will be more defections from Pyongyang’s elite this year.”
Government “Pressure to earn foreign currency – intelligence on strengthening controls”
Last year, high-ranking North Korean diplomats and other defections increased rapidly… “Even the residents are agitated, a big threat to the North Korean regime.”
Unification government publishes ‘North Korean Human Rights White Paper 2023’… “Group public execution of coronavirus quarantine violators”
As it is known that around 10 high-ranking North Korean defectors arrived on South Korean soil last year, there is an interpretation that the agitation among the North Korean elite has become greatly increased. At the end of last year, intelligence that there was censorship of North Korea’s diplomatic missions abroad was also captured by our authorities. A high-ranking government source said, “North Korea’s elite is experiencing the double whammy of serious economic hardship and the North Korean government’s strengthening of control,” and added, “The departure of the elite, sensing this serious internal situation, will pose a great threat to the North Korean regime.”
The number of defections by high-ranking North Korean officials was only two or three per year when the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) was spreading, but following a significant increase last year, South Korean authorities expect the number to increase further this year. As attempts to defect from North Korea, led by diplomats and trade representative employees, continue, dissatisfaction with the North Korean system can spread, especially among the elite, and even ordinary citizens may be shaken. Those classified as high-ranking North Korean defectors are released into South Korean society without going through Hanawon, a settlement support facility for North Korean defectors, following joint interrogation for reasons such as exposure of their identities.
● Possibility of defection of Pyongyang’s core elite in the first half of the year
A government source said, “As COVID-19 spread, the North Korean government’s stranglehold on overseas embassies that are at the forefront of earning foreign currency has strengthened,” adding, “This appears to be one of the main reasons for high-level defections.” Another source also said, “I hear that (the North Korean authorities’) pressure and reminder cycle has become shorter than in previous years.” Last year, North Korea sequentially closed 7 out of 53 embassies around the world as its foreign currency earning situation worsened due to comprehensive sanctions once morest the country and it suffered financial difficulties. Some predict that North Korea will withdraw from as many as 10 embassies this year. As the elite class continues to unrest, circumstances are also emerging in which North Korea is strengthening its control, especially over embassies and embassies. A government source said, “There is intelligence that there was general censorship (targeting diplomatic missions abroad) at the end of last year,” and added, “Unlike ordinary citizens defecting from North Korea, high-ranking officials will be a headache for Kim Jong-un in terms of high-level information leaks.” Considering North Korea’s tendency to speed up the opening of its borders since August of last year, it is known that our intelligence authorities are keeping an eye on the possibility that elites with up-to-date information in Pyongyang may defect in earnest in the first half of this year. Most high-ranking North Korean defectors who entered the country last year were those who had stayed overseas for several years due to border closures, but there is a possibility that some of the core members of the regime will defect in the future. The total number of North Korean defectors entering the country, which was around 1,000 in the 2010s, has decreased significantly to the 60s since the outbreak of COVID-19, but is known to have increased nearly three times to 190 last year compared to the previous year.
As COVID-19 enters a calming phase, the situation in which North Korea is recalling its overseas employees by land and air appears to be causing unrest among the North Korean elite. Long-term overseas residents are already returning home through Air Koryo routes, which have resumed operations. A government source said, “North Korean authorities are carrying out strict ideological investigations and censorship of those who return to the country following several years,” adding, “Conditions have been created where elites who are afraid of returning home have no choice but to defect out of consideration for their children’s future.” It was said. Some analysts say that the improved treatment of high-ranking North Korean defectors under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration compared to the previous Moon Jae-in administration also had an influence on elite defections.
● Public execution for violating quarantine measures
Meanwhile, North Korea is continuing its reign of terror once morest its residents by expanding the death penalty provision and strengthening surveillance and punishment for the inflow of South Korean culture.
On the 10th, the Korea Institute for National Unification published the ‘North Korean Human Rights White Paper 2023’ following conducting in-depth interviews with 71 North Korean defectors who until recently lived in North Korea. According to this, North Korea has enacted special laws such as the Emergency Quarantine Act (2021) and the Act on Rejecting Reactionary Ideology and Culture (2022), and specified the death penalty as the maximum punishment for violations of these laws. There were also testimonies from North Korean defectors that people who violated quarantine measures such as COVID-19 were publicly executed en masse.
Reporter Shin Jin-woo [email protected]
Reporter Shin Gyu-jin [email protected]
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