North Korean agent faces firing squad after he was caught googling ‘Kim Jong Un’
- North Korea strictly restricts Internet access to prevent access to the outside world
- They capture several agents from Bureau 10 browsing without authorization
- The officers were fired and one who investigated Kim Jong Un faces firing squad
A North Korean agent faces a firing squad after he was caught using his internet privileges to ‘Google’ Kim Jong Un.
Several agents of the regime’s secret Office 10, which spies on all internal and external electronic communications, were caught browsing the Internet without authorization.
North Korea strictly restricts Internet access to prevent its people from learning about the outside world, and even agents cannot go online without permission from their controllers.
But a Pyongyang source said the officers were ratted out by a colleague at the Ministry of State Security, prompting an inspection that revealed their illicit investigation.
The officers were fired, and one who investigated Kim Jong Un now faces firing squad, a ministry source told the Daily NK, a newspaper based in neighboring South Korea.
A North Korean agent faces firing squad after he was caught using his internet privileges to Google Kim Jong Un (pictured March 12)
The source said: ‘Departments in Bureau 10 have internet access, which allowed officers to turn off their search word recording devices and search the web as much as they wanted without issue.
“But after a new bureau chief took office, even these previously routine problems have become major incidents.”
Greg Scarlatoiu, director of the North Korean Human Rights Committee, said the regime’s information firewall was breaking down. He said: ‘Even the most trusted agents of the Kim regime are now trying to access information from the outside world.
“The Kim family regime has remained in power through overwhelming coercion, punishment, surveillance, and control of information.
“The very limited information entering the country from the outside world continues to be viewed by the regime as a serious threat to its hold on power.
“Despite the regime’s best efforts, North Korea’s information firewall is slowly but surely and steadily crumbling.
“Because of information being smuggled into the country, the oppression facing North Koreans will eventually come to a swift end.”
All of the individuals trapped were young, having started in the office late last year after graduating, some mid-ranking and some senior.
Agents caught surfing the web have been fired, and one who investigated Kim Jong Un (pictured March 10) now faces firing squad.
According to Daily NK, they had been developing software for the country’s home firewall, as well as managing remote access, eavesdropping and security systems.
The incident has now led to a strong crackdown on the ministry, with investigators also looking into whether the officers involved had leaked illicit information to others.
The actions of the agent who investigated the leader were considered especially inexcusable, as he was a “security warrior charged with defending the Highest Dignity (Kim Jong Un) with his life.” “This act alone…could get you shot,” the newspaper wrote.
The article did not specify if Google was the specific search engine used, but it is one of the top two search engines in neighboring South Korea, along with Naver.
Only a handful of North Koreans are allowed access to the Internet; most are expected to make do with a regime-run intranet service where the flow of information is strictly controlled.