North Korea Builds Out Surveillance Infrastructure

According to a recent report by the website 38 North, North Korea plans to improve its ability to monitor its own citizen by increasing its surveillance capabilities with more camera deployments in public spaces such as schools and factories.

The report points to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s desire to step up surveillance of his country’s citizens in order to promote greater loyalty toward the state as a driving factor behind this increase in surveillance. The deployments would include equipment imported from China, and facial recognition software developed domestically by North Korean universities and research institutions.

The surveillance equipment includes cameras equipped with facial recognition technology, as well as basic CCTV feeds. State media reports that these have been installed in schools, workplaces, and airports in Pyongyang and other major cities across the country.

Additionally, North Korea’s network of traffic cameras has expanded in recent years, with significant deployments at many entry and exit points to the capital city.

However, the plans for this expansion are constrained by the state’s inadequate infrastructure. The report identifies issues with network connectivity and electricity supply as major obstacles to launching a surveillance network as comprehensive as that of neighboring China.

The report draws on information from domestic and international media coverage, public announcements related to research at North Korean universities and research labs, and interviews with North Korean escapees and over 100 residents conducted via encrypted communication methods.

In addition to this surveillance rollout, the state has been expanding its national biometric database, with the latest iteration of North Korean ID cards requiring citizens to submit their fingerprints, facial photographs, and possibly even blood type, to the national registry for inclusion in the smart cards.

Source: CityNews

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April 16, 2024 – by Tony Bitzionis