By Is this a sign that North Koreans may slowly but surely turning on the regime?
A source in North Hamgyung Province told Daily NK on January 19, “During the mourning period, one official from the provincial NSA, one from the prosecutor’s office and two from the People’s Safety Agency were murdered in Cheongjin.” The source added, “There was a note found lying next to the body of the executed NSA official which said ‘Punished in the name of the people.’”
North Korean authorities have not released the identities of the victims or any information about the case fearing public disturbances, but authorities are said to be using all resources at their disposal to find the people responsible. The Defense Security Command is helping the other three agencies with the investigation, while a report on the murders has been elevated to the Central Party in Pyongyang.
In December 2010, also in Cheongjin, the retired head of the PSA office in the Sunam district died after being attacked on the street by an unknown assailant. This however is the first time that active serving officers have been slain. The likelihood seems to be that the murders were planned by somebody with a political motive rather than a personal grudge. [Daily NK via OFK]
The normal caveats apply when it comes to any information coming out of North Korea, but you can read more about why killings of the secret police in Cheongjin should be condoned over at One Free Korea.
She hasn’t seen...
12:21 am on January 26th, 2012 1
Had any of them been invited to the Other Ball?
2:58 am on January 26th, 2012 2
A year ago another government official was mysteriously murdered in the same city, and they’ve had anti Kim Jong-il fliers distributed in the area on more than one occasion. They never found or prosecuted anyone. I’m betting RoK intel has their hands in this one one way or another, working through disenfranchised North Koreans living there.
7:25 am on January 26th, 2012 3
#2,
Well…
If I were a low-ranking North Korean official having political rivals assassinated, I’d ensure that anti-Kim Jong-il pamphlets would distributed in the region in order to divert attention away from me.
8:14 pm on January 26th, 2012 4
While the KJN regime settles into power, now would be the perfect time for elements within the regime to settle old scores or fortify their own little kingdoms. I seriously doubt “the people” are really rising up.
2:55 am on January 27th, 2012 5
Much to official chagrin,
officials were murdered in Cheongjin.
Was it for sick enjoyment?
Or to solve unemployment?
As there are now openings for some policemen.
3:14 am on January 27th, 2012 6
Kagura wrote:
Do disenfranchised North Koreans really need support or encouragement from ROK intel to create fliers and distribute them? Isn’t the last decade+ of starvation and fear of being sent to a gulag motivation enough? Considering how risky interacting with ROK intel would be (for both the ROKs and the Norks) – I doubt that is the case. If anything – I could maybe see ROK-based Christian groups helping out – but even that’s a long shot…financial assistance perhaps…but that’s about it.