A large number of North Koreans who have attempted to defect may be expelled after the 100th anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s birth. Families of those who have attempted to defect, as well as those who have successfully fled the country may be expelled as well.
A source from the National Security Agency stated, “Many people will be forced to leave the cities and relocate to rural areas. These will be people who were caught while crossing the border with their families during the mourning period for Kim Jong Il, or who have family members who fled to South Korea, or committed drug and human trafficking crimes.”
The purge list may also include businessmen who make frequent phone calls to China or trade large amounts of cash. If the source of the money is too vague, the regime may regard it as “black money from the South.” This money is seized and the owner of the cash is expelled to a remote area of the countryside.
There are rising complaints and worries among the North Korean people about this measure. The source continued, “I think actual drug smugglers or human traffickers deserve to be forced out, but it’s too harsh for ordinary men who have only made business calls to China to be purged as well. Residents and even judicial officials feel pity for those being purged.”
The source added, “If people are expelled to the harsh countryside, won’t they try to escape to South Korea? They will want to go to the South or China for their own survival. This forced displacement will promote defection rather than restrain it.”
