North Korean residents are seen in a village in Kaepung County, Hwanghae Province, North Korea, as viewed from the Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on January 28. ⓒNewsisAs Chinese-made surveillance cameras are rapidly being distributed in North Korea, the surveillance network for North Korean citizens is becoming tighter. This suggests that group defections will become increasingly difficult in the future.
Researchers Martin Williams and Natalia Slavney from the 38 North project of the U.S. think tank Stimson Center, diagnosed the issue of strengthening the surveillance system in North Korea, combined with digital technology, through a report published on the 16th (local time) based on interviews with defectors and analysis of North Korean state media footage.
According to the report, North Korea is spreading closed-circuit (CC)TV, combined with digital technology, to enhance internal security and prevent theft. This has been reported to be installed in major cities, including Pyongyang.
Many factories are using CCTV cameras for remote monitoring of machinery and production procedures, and it has been found that CCTV is installed in some public places and significant road entrances in Pyongyang, such as Kim Il Sung Square.
The report also mentioned that surveillance cameras are increasing in areas bordering China. Most of the surveillance cameras in North Korea are believed to be imported from China.
The report stated, “The spread of CCTV threatens North Koreans’ ability to evade surveillance,” but also noted, “It is uncertain how much of the footage from the cameras is stored and accessible at a central level.”
However, considering North Korea’s electricity supply situation and the state of the internet network, the report speculated that it would still be challenging to establish a high-intensity CCTV surveillance network operating in China.
The report also introduced that facial recognition technology has been introduced in North Korea. It is said that the authorities are building a biometric database, including residents’ photos and fingerprints.
“While the advancement of digital technology in North Korea can provide more opportunities for North Korean citizens, it also increases the risk of the North Korean regime expanding surveillance of citizens’ daily lives.” the report pointed out.
It also stated, “North Korean citizens are hardly aware of the risks of digital surveillance,” and “Despite the spread of surveillance technology, citizens hardly know how surveillance technology is used and what it can do.”
With the advancement of technology, not only the surveillance network inside North Korea but also outside North Korea is getting denser. As China builds the world’s largest artificial intelligence (AI) facial recognition system, the escape routes for defectors trying to escape through China to a third country have become more dangerous.
According to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA) last year, Skynet, an AI-based facial recognition system developed by the Chinese government to manage its citizens, significantly impacts defectors. The use of AI-based facial recognition technology in public places and public transportation in China is making it more difficult for defectors to move around.
In fact, due to facial recognition technology, more cases of being caught by the Chinese authorities are being reported. In the past, defectors in China were caught in a surprise inspection at their hiding places or accommodations and were caught in groups at once. However, due to the facial recognition system, the authorities can detect the defectors at any time while they are on the street or using public transportation.
In an interview with the media in February this year, Pastor Kim Sung Eun of the Caleb Mission, a human rights activist for defectors, warned of this danger. Pastor Kim said, “Facial recognition technology is now being used to catch defectors in the same way as criminals by installing it in front of buses and trains,” and explained, “So the cost is skyrocketing and defectors are facing great difficulties.”
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