A spy machine with eyes and ears everywhere
Foreigners must surrender mobile phones, other prohibitions abound
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The Stalinist espionage apparatus of Kim Jong-Il is believed to be even more efficient than the East German Stasi once was. Consequently, when asked, North Koreans will slavishly repeat the official truth of what their leaders have said.
There is no other choice for anyone who wants to avoid being sent to a labour camp, or getting into other serious trouble.
Foreigners visiting the country are also under close scrutiny. Immediately after being welcomed, they are warned by local guides not to take cropped pictures of statues of the dictators. And newspapers with articles about the leaders must not be used for anything other than reading.
At the airport, officials confiscate mobile telephones for the duration of the visit, and leaf through a passenger’s copy of the Economist to see if it contains anything sensitive.
“Rules are rules”, explains a Pyongyang official when asked why the mobile phone was taken away. “It could become a security problem”, says another. However, in Pyongyang, mobile telephones in the hands of officials are getting to be an increasingly common sight.
Only the elite have access to the Internet. It is possible to send e-mail from the hotel, but only with special permission. Application forms for permission to send e-mail include a space for the intended destination country. A 20-KB e-mail costs EUR 2.30 to send.
“I do not believe that the Internet will gain widespread use in North Korea. The reason for this is American and South Korean imperialism”, says one official. So what does the United States have to do with the citizens not being allowed Internet access?
“It’s hard to explain”, the man says and makes it clear that there will be no further discussion of the topic.
The list of prohibitions imposed on foreigners is endless. Photography from inside a car is not allowed. People must not be photographed. Soldiers must not be photographed. The bans are enforced by officials who keep a close eye on foreigners. There is no shortage of watchful eyes: there are three officials chaperoning seven tourists.
It soon becomes apparent that foreigners are not allowed to leave the hotel unescorted.
A British and an Irish visitor taking a morning stroll are quickly stopped by a crowd when they take pictures of street vendors. The men are driven back to their hotel by security officials.
The North Koreans consider this a serious incident. A report is written, the memory cards of the cameras are confiscated, and the pictures must be deleted from their computers. The men are also required to write a humble letter of apology to North Korea.
“This is a serious setback to the positive development of relations between Britain and North Korea”, the director of the travel agency says, as he chastises the Irish man.
The guide, a middle-aged North Korean man who is responsible for the group, breaks down in tears.
People have been sent to labour camps for lesser infractions.
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