{"id":120,"date":"2014-01-30T16:11:03","date_gmt":"2014-01-30T07:11:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang-2\/2014\/01\/report\/firing-squad-executions-entertainers-crackdown-politica\/"},"modified":"2018-08-24T18:22:18","modified_gmt":"2018-08-24T09:22:18","slug":"firing-squad-executions-entertainers-crackdown-politica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2014\/01\/news\/firing-squad-executions-entertainers-crackdown-politica\/","title":{"rendered":"The Firing Squad Executions of N.Korean Entertainers - N.Korean State's Crackdown on \"Political Videos\" (PART2)"},"content":{"rendered":"
2013\/November\/18 << PREVIOUS (PART1)<\/a><\/span><\/strong> <\/strong><\/span>From August the storm of the crackdowns on so-called 'impure materials' has swept across North Korea within the inerior of the state apparatus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Beginning in Pyongyang with the firing squad execution of the entertainment group, reports have emerged from a number of different areas in North Korea of similar executions being carried out by mid-level government officials. The original reason given for these actions - the distribution of 'Impure recordings' - has since been completely changed, new claims being issued that these co-called corrupting materials were imported by the South Korean government. Let us examine the claims issued by the North Korean government:<\/span><\/p>\n In September, further announcements were issued by the North Korean government stating, \"Those who view or illegally contribute to the dissemination of impure materials will be severely punished\".<\/span><\/p>\n In front of the Sinuiju railway station people carrying large bags into the station are being stopped and searched by the officers of the Public Order Maintenance Corps (\uc9c8\uc11c\uc720\uc9c0\ub300), on the lookout for illicit materials being distributed within the country. Sinuiju City, North Pyongan Provice. ( November 2012, Taken by Rimjin-gang's reporting partner in North Korea)\u3000ASIAPRESS<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n The Crackdown started with the 'Lewd Video'<\/span> On August 23rd, our reporting partner living in the Northern province of Ryanggang reported by telephone on the latest events coming out of North Korea, emphasising that this is not the first time that North Korea has taken steps to crackdown on the movement of illicit materials inside its borders. Time and time again, however, progress to control the flow of such 'lewd' material has been impeded. Accordingly, according to the reporter, there is no need to consider these efforts any different from what has been previously attempted.<\/span><\/p>\n However, firing squad executions in various provinces within North Korea have been called in by our reporting partners in North Korea and all have as the common denominator a renewed crackdown on 'impure recordings' as a motivator. These reports first started attracting world attention following an article in the South Korean newspaper\u00a0Chosun Ilbo\u00a0on August 29th claiming that on the 20th of that same month, \"more than a dozen of people including members of North Korea's Milky Way Symphony Orchestra were executed by firing squad for the filming and illegal distribution of a 'lewd video'.\"<\/span><\/p>\n By this time rumours of the 'Entertainer's Execution Incident' had already spread nationwide. On August 30th, Mr B, our reporting partner living in North HamKyung Pronvince, expressed the following on the matter:<\/span><\/p>\n - Have you heard anything about the execution of the entertainers?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \"I hea rd from a police officer who is my acquaintance that 25 entertainers were executed by firing squad for making 'lewd recordings' and selling them in China.\" (At a later date, he corrected the number, clarifying that more than a dozen people were executed.)<\/span><\/p>\n - Can you explain about the situation in North Hamkyung Province?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \"According to the police officers who dealt with the matter [of 'lewd' recorded material], in XX area of Saebyeol County, televisions and video recorders were confiscated from some 40 households. In some homes, entire families who had seen a 'lewd video' named the Day of the Gisaeng (Note: Korean Female Entertainer) were tied up and pulled from their homes, I was told.\"<\/span><\/p>\n - So those in charge of the crackdown were the police?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n With the issuance of Kim Jong-un's 'August\/17 Policy' (8.17\ubc29\uce68) [The numbers proceeding each verbal instruction given by Kim Jong-un is assumed to refer to the date issued] officers from the State Security Department (the secret police) from Bureau 27 in Pyongyang arrived with the purpose of carrying out inspections.<\/span><\/p>\n These security officers have been searching both night and day in people's homes and on their USB drives in an effort to apprehend those involved. They claimed that, \"Our enemy (South Korea) has smuggled 10,000 USB memory drives into North Korea in an effort to infiltrate our country\".<\/span><\/p>\n The secret police from Bureau 27 in Pyongyang are specialists in covert intelligence and digital operations. If the case is to crackdown on \"obscene materials\", it is a moral matter, and the police deals with these issues. But when the secret police appears, it is deemed to be a political issue.<\/span><\/p>\n Mr. B also added that rumors are being passed around explaining that the reason Pyongyang's entertainers were targetted was because of the filming and recording of a sex video that was later discovered on a USB memory. The video was leaked to a foreign country, and the enemy (South Korea) deliberately smuggled it back into our country. However, It is unlikely and unnatural that the obscene video made in our country was smuggled in from a foreign country, Mr. B added.<\/span><\/p>\n Our reporting partner Mr.B expressed his uncertainty over special 'August\/17 Policy'. In north Korea, 'Policy' refers to a direct command from Kim Jong-un. If the 'August\/17 Policy' is indeed a ruling from the top if the political chain, it has a supreme political meaning. This makes it a top priority for the security services of the state. If we take this into consideration, it makes me think that this policy is in fact not entirely meant to address the issue of 'lewd videos' in North Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/span>ISHIMARU Jiro<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
The charge for the crackdowns is changed from 'lewd video' to 'South Korean recording materials'.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/strong>
<\/span>\"Security officers from Pyongyang have been dispatched to the provinces as part of the clampdown on material smuggled from South Korea, however, the target of these investigations are not normal citizens, rather ranking officials. They have even had their homes searched. The people who watch the most South Korean materials are the ranking officials and until now police were too afraid to touch them. This time, however, they are taking a more hardline.\"<\/span><\/p>\n