North Korean security agents arrested five women in Hoeryong, North Hamgyong province, for simultaneously violating two major anti-socialist laws: drug use and possession of Chinese mobile phones.
According to a Daily NK source in the province, the arrests occurred on Dec. 30 when security agents raided a private residence where the women had gathered. The group, consisting of women in their 30s and 40s, included a drug dealer, two Chinese phone users, and two money changers.
The women were caught during a year-end celebration while using methamphetamine. One woman had specifically requested another to bring her Chinese phone to ask a Chinese trader about topping up her “mobile money,” leading to the seizure of the illegal phones.
While year-end gatherings are common in North Korea, similar to South Korean traditions, recent trends show an increasing presence of drug use at these social gatherings. In this case, a neighbor reported suspicious activity to authorities, leading to the raid.
The incident reflects the intensified surveillance following North Korea’s 2022 Public Reporting System Law. The regime considers both drug use and Chinese phone possession serious threats – drugs for undermining ideological discipline and social order, and Chinese phones for enabling unauthorized information flow.
“As drugs and Chinese-made mobile phones are considered very serious problems here in North Korea, punishments have intensified to the point that it’s hard to bribe your way out of a fix,” the source said. “And with the people in the latest incident getting busted with both at the same time, they’re unlikely to go free.
“The five are currently undergoing questioning while being detained, and given the large number of people implicated, we have to wait and see what punishments they receive since the investigation could take longer than normal,” the source continued, adding: “Anyway, crackdowns on drugs and Chinese-made mobile phones are likely to intensify as a result of the incident.”
