Daily NK reported that North Korea appears to be expecting to fully lift the border blockade implemented during the COVID-4 pandemic in April this year. However, Ryanggang Province, which is close to China, has launched an operation called the "11-day battle" since November last year to crack down on non-socialist behavior and illegal activities. The Ministry of National Security, which is seen by the outside world as a "secret police" agency, also implements a reporting system locally.
It is reported that during the Lunar New Year in previous years, the market in Hyesan City, Ryanggang Province was always crowded, but this year due to the high-pressure inspection campaign, the streets became unusually deserted. So far, customs officials, foreign exchange business managers, grain sales supervisors, party officials and several businessmen have been arrested. Hyesan City, the administrative center of Ryanggang Province, is now subject to the operation of local government by the whistleblower team, causing serious obstruction to local administrative work.
The report pointed out that the narrow river channels and hidden terrain in Ryanggang Province, especially in Hyesan City, have long been the main smuggling channels for North Korea and are a key focus area for the North Korean government. Because it is difficult for the central government to conduct comprehensive surveillance, Huishan has always been a high-risk area for denunciation and execution.
Many North Korean defectors recall that during the "March of Suffering" famine in the 1990s, Ryanggang Province launched a large-scale purge, during which the military security command publicly executed at least 19 people and there were many more victims who were not publicly tried. Residents are still haunted by this.
In recent years, there have been several public executions in Hyesan, including nine residents who were executed for selling beef and a high school student who was shot for spreading K-POP songs. Now, the authorities have once again launched a large-scale inspection campaign, causing the outside world to worry that a new wave of bloody purges is about to begin, deepening the anxiety and fear of local residents.
