Security forces have stepped up surveillance, a source told told the Daily NK on the 23^rd. In particular, security forces have been focusing on the movement of citizens. Rather than increasing dramatically the amount of people detained in prison, the situation is leading to bribery.

The source from Hyesan told the Daily NK that, "There’re checkpoints on the borders between every region now, and they’re closely checking documents [ID and transit permit] one by one. They’ve also really stepped up the number of body searches."

The source told the Daily NK that the stepping up of surveillance comes from last year's meetings of security forces and judicial personnel in Pyongyang. Those who attended the meetings were ordered to clamp down on illicit activities.

The source said that the surveillance was having a slightly different impact than intended. The source said that the members of the security will use any chance created by the illegal activities of citizens to grab as many bribes as possible. This is also true of more serious crimes.

The stepping up of surveillance follows earlier reports of the security forces bringing forward the annual winter increase of security forces along the border due to inclement weather.

Source: the Daily NK