North Korea may be notorious for being “decades old,” but its technology is not far behind. North Korea has trained world-class hackers and IT experts who have earned billions of dollars for the regime. cryptocurrency theft and remote IT workEven though the majority of North Koreans have never accessed the World Wide Web. This lopsided technological development means that many of North Korea's population control methods still rely on human intelligence and analog identification systems. Although these human monitoring systems are thorough, human “errors” such as bribery and corruption tend to occur frequently. I shudder to think what the North Korean state could do if it adopted the Chinese model of omnipotent state surveillance powered by AI.
A recent report published by US-based think tank 38 North states that:Digital Surveillance in North Korea: Transition to a Digital Panopticon State” suggests that North Korea is already experimenting with the digitalization of state surveillance. The report provides thorough evidence that North Korea is steadily developing technology with clear surveillance purposes, including facial recognition and AI-powered CCTV surveillance technology. This advancement raises important questions about how quickly this type of technology could be deployed in North Korea and what a technology-enabled surveillance state in North Korea might look like.
Imagine how North Korea's surveillance technology would play out on the ground. new report The Daily NK article provides valuable insight. Journalist Kim Jong-yun reported that at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the North Korean government imposed controls on domestic travel, ostensibly to prevent the spread of the virus. reported that they have turned to AI-powered solutions to strengthen their In April 2021, South Hamgyong Province authorities installed facial recognition-enabled cameras at the gates of several train stations in the province, replacing manual travel document checks. Similar arrangements have reportedly been set up across the country, including in Pyongyang. Since then, all the facial recognition cameras in South Hamgyong Province have aged, but at least three similar devices are reportedly still operating at train gates in the capital, Pyongyang. (Read the full article here)
It remains unclear whether these facial recognition devices were manufactured domestically or imported and modified from China. The authors believe that the facial recognition software used is likely from North Korea. Dumbo A system developed by Kim Il Sung University. Chapter 7 of the 38 North report includes images from his 2019 technology exhibition featuring an access control system using facial recognition for building entry that could easily be applied to train station entry. It contains. The report also highlighted domestic reports about the university's advanced facial recognition technology dated December 2021, the same year that Daily NK reported that the government had installed facial recognition systems at major train stations across the country. I'm guessing.
Regardless of the software, however, much of the hardware itself is likely to be made in China, given North Korea's limited ability to manufacture highly integrated electronics. For example, 38 North reported that the DT-20 facial recognition access control device promoted by Amnok Gan Technology Development Company appears to be manufactured by the Chinese company Wit Easy Electronic Co. Other high-level technologies that are ostensibly “domestic”, such as North Korean smartphones, Similarly traced back to Chinese manufacturers. A system with North Korean software on Chinese-made hardware, or imported entirely from China, would explain why the broken equipment in South Hamgyong Province has not yet been replaced or repaired. It will be. Repairs require importing parts and new units from Chinese partners.
This example is consistent with the three major limiting factors highlighted in the 38 North report: dependence on imported hardware, poor interconnectivity (especially in remote areas), and lack of electricity. North Korea may perhaps be trying to address the second problem (interconnectivity). new 4G networkBut the country is unlikely to resolve its decades-long struggle for a reliable power supply any time soon. Similarly, comprehensive electronics manufacturing is unlikely to be an industry that North Korea can rapidly expand on its own.
These strict restrictions mean North Korea is unlikely to take the 360-degree surveillance camera approach favored by wealthy countries like China and South Korea, which seeks to put pressure on the human networks that tighten the regime's control. It suggests a focus on using “unbiased” monitoring. If material constraints require targeting only a small portion of the population, the most effective strategy is likely to be to monitor the enforcers themselves. Monitoring the officials who run the government would reduce opportunities for bribery and corruption, and would therefore make cracking down on “anti-socialist” behavior more effective. Similarly, facial recognition-based transportation management reduces the effectiveness of human error and forged documents, making it more difficult for individual officials to accept bribes.
Anecdotally in the 38 North report, North Korea already uses surveillance cameras to monitor the crackdown, but officials appear to continue to find ways to exploit surveillance blind spots to accept bribes. . Given the fact that Ministry of State Security officials and similar enforcement officers widely rely on bribes to make a living, and pay some of those bribes to their superiors, this means that they must be monitored in order to continue generating income. creating incentives for cooperation among enforcement officers to avoid. . Although the introduction of surveillance cameras may lead to the spread of bribes or the inflated amount of bribes (for example, a portion of the bribes may be paid to the officials monitoring the surveillance camera footage), there are Without complementary policies, corruption is unlikely to be curbed. Financial demands against MSS agents or increase their salary To the point where corruption poses greater risks than benefits.
In short, technology-enabled surveillance systems have the potential to further tighten regime control by reducing the opportunities for individuals to bypass enforcement officials and take bribes. However, systemic issues such as dependence on foreign components and unreliable power supply are likely to prevent technology-based approaches from playing a significant role in the foreseeable future. The authors also note that governments' reliance on bribery and corruption to maintain compensation for enforcement officers further undermines attempts to effectively implement technical surveillance systems, regardless of other technical factors. I doubt that it will happen. Similarly, reduced corruption has a knock-on effect on the general public in the form of fewer smuggling opportunities and higher bribes, further increasing the cost of food and other necessities and threatening the livelihoods of lower-level traders. . Increased surveillance, however imperfect, poses a serious threat to the lives and livelihoods of North Koreans.
Please check Click here for the original 38 North report.
The views expressed in this guest column do not necessarily reflect the views of Daily NK.
