Kim Jong Un put a gag order on high-ranking officials

Kim Jong Un put a gag order on high-ranking officials. April. 18, 2018 07:54. by Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com.
It has been identified that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is keeping high-ranking officials of the party and the army from talking about the “relay summits” with South Korea and the United States. Kim is also known to be cracking down on civilians through the Ministry of State Safety and Security. With such big events coming ahead, Kim Jong Un is concentrating on the security of agendas for talks and negotiation related information through strong internal censorship.

On Tuesday, the South Korean intelligence authority acquired information that the North Korean leader put a gag order against North Korea’s high-ranking officials and their children, which is currently under confirmation by the relevant authority of South Korea. Kim made such order directly in writing and even censored communication means including mobile phones of certain high-ranking officials, according to the source. It is also known that the North Korean leader sent numerous “warning messages that anyone caught for disclosing relevant information shall be severely punished.

The level of imposing control over its citizens has also been strengthened. Agents of the Ministry of State Safety and Security have started a crackdown on messages based on private enterprise and markets, known as jangmadang, which is the source of various rumors. It is also known that there are an increasing number of declarations that include messages such as “denouncement of capitalism” at the border area with China.

It is analyzed to be a strategic move to block any information that may be disadvantageous to the North Korean government and block any agitation that may arise when specific agendas including denuclearization are released among citizens with the summit ahead. Some point out that North Korea has begun prior management to prepare in case external information flows into North Korea with the upcoming summits.