As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in 2020, the North Korean regime, led by Kim Jong Un, launched a major operation to seal its borders with China and Russia, effectively cutting off access to outside information, trade opportunities, and escape routes for defectors. Commercial satellite imagery, along with accounts from defectors, activists, and border workers, reveals that Pyongyang has constructed extensive border fences, walls, and guard posts, enabling the government to control the flow of information and goods while preventing foreign elements from entering the country and its people from leaving.
The scale of this project is evident in the analyzed imagery and accounts from various sources. The traditional North Korea-China route, previously utilized by smugglers and defectors, has become almost impassable due to intensified border security. Official data shows a significant decrease in the number of defectors reaching South Korea, with only 67 making it in 2020 compared to 1,047 in 2019. This decline can be attributed, in part, to tighter restrictions in China, which had been in place even before the pandemic.
North Korea's government and state media have provided little information about the border construction, and attempts to reach the North Korean embassy in London have been unsuccessful. However, official sources from North Korea have mentioned heightened security measures to prevent the entry of the coronavirus and other "alien things." In a speech celebrating victory over COVID-19, Kim Jong Un ordered officials to perfect the construction of a comprehensive multiple blockade wall along the borders.
The sealing of the border is expected to have lasting effects, particularly impacting North Korea's emerging mercantile class and the towns that relied on informal trade as a means of survival. These crackdowns disproportionately affect vulnerable groups such as women and those residing in geographically peripheral areas. Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein, an expert on North Korea's economy, suggests that towns that thrived on trade since the 1990s famine now face economic disadvantages due to the border closures.
The examination of satellite imagery, conducted by Reuters and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, reveals new or expanded security infrastructure along at least 489 km of the border. This includes various types of fencing, walls, and guard posts. While limitations in the imagery prevent a comprehensive analysis, many installations are concentrated in populated areas without natural obstacles, making it difficult for people to enter or leave the country.
Defectors, human rights activists, and individuals involved in smuggling across the border confirm that the enhanced security measures are choking economic opportunities for vulnerable groups and further restricting access to outside information for North Koreans. Security cameras, multiple layers of fencing, and specialized border troops have been deployed, making it nearly impossible for people to return to North Korea after leaving.
China's foreign ministry claims to be unaware of the situation but emphasizes its commitment to maintaining border security and stability in collaboration with North Korea. There have been reports that North Korean border guards have been ordered to shoot anyone attempting to cross. The US Treasury Department has previously sanctioned North Korea's Border Guard General Bureau for human rights abuses, including orders to shoot on sight.
The tightening of border security aligns with Kim Jong Un's efforts to strengthen his control within North Korea. It also serves as a means to assert influence over military and party members far from the border who could potentially challenge the regime's authority. The crackdown on international trade, both official and informal, is a way for Pyongyang to prevent the rise of entrepreneurs and maintain control over the population.
Informal markets known as jangmadang, which provide daily necessities for up to 80% of North Koreans, have seen their activities severely curtailed due to the border closures. The combination of food shortages and restricted market activities has pushed a vulnerable population to the brink. Remittances sent by defectors to their relatives in North Korea have declined, while requests for financial aid from North Koreans have increased.
The border tightening is expected to impede positive changes in recent years, such as improved access to outside information, while exacerbating hardship for the North Korean people. However, reports suggest that foreign shows, including the South Korean hit "Squid Game," have managed to find their way into the country. As time goes on and the pandemic subsides, the government may face challenges in justifying these restrictions, emphasizing the need for increased international efforts to support the rights of North Koreans.