SEOUL: North Korea is intensifying its surveillance efforts by installing surveillance cameras in schools and workplaces and gathering biometric data like fingerprints and photographs from its citizens, according to a report released on Tuesday.
The use of digital surveillance tools, a combination of Chinese-imported equipment and domestically developed software, is rapidly expanding, posing a threat to the few remaining spaces where North Koreans can engage in private activities or criticize the government, as noted in the report published by the North Korea-focused website 38 North.
However, North Korea faced challenges in fully implementing digital surveillance due to inadequate electricity supply and low network connectivity. Despite efforts to ramp up surveillance, the country still heavily relies on traditional methods of citizen monitoring, distinguishing it from China where digital surveillance is more widespread.
The report suggests that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is tightening the state’s grip on its citizens and promoting loyalty to his regime, a trend that has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic prompted North Korea to impose strict border controls, which remained in place for three years before a gradual reopening in 2023.
Recent laws and reports of harsher punishments indicate a crackdown on foreign influence and imported media, possibly aided by enhanced border security measures, including fences and electronic monitoring systems installed during the pandemic.
Martyn Williams, co-author of the report alongside Natalia Slavney, believes that while the pandemic may have contributed to increased surveillance, the decreasing cost of surveillance equipment has played a more significant role in the state’s surveillance efforts.
