The North Korean authorities have ordered additional

surveillance and stepped up patrols in and around economic locations and sites

related to the Kim family cult of personality, according to sources inside the country.

The authorities are now gearing up for next month’s

Supreme People’s Assembly elections, and have long used such nationwide events as a pretext for the security forces to regulate society more forcefully.

“The order came down to begin ‘special guard’ in relation to

the Supreme People’s Assembly delegates’ elections, so they held people’s unit

meetings about it,” a source from Yangkang Province reported to Daily NK on the 27th.

“In the meeting they read out the content of the

order, which was that ‘impure elements could maneuver

against us at any time so we must stay alert and enhance our security.’”

“They mentioned specifically that

we must step up the defense of sites of revolutionary historical importance,

including all likenesses of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il,” the source went on. “They

emphasized that impure elements aiming to corrupt socialism could regard this

election, which will see Marshal Kim Jong Eun elected, as a thorn

in the eye and engage in hostile action, so we have to raise our guard.”

Under such orders, groups of workers are organized to patrol

designated areas, including economic infrastructure such as factories and all sites of ideological value. In the

Yangkang Province region, this list includes Kim Jong Suk Theater in Hyesan and the Pochonbo Battle

Monument, which is close to the Chinese side of the border.

“They also mentioned how we should

increase security at election committee offices to protect people mobilized for

the elections,” the source went on. However, “People have been under extreme pressure

for quite a while due to the recent crackdown in the border region, so now they are devoting

themselves more to playing cards than guarding election offices.”

Seizing upon the opportunity provided by SPA election

season, the security services have further ordered heads of people’s

units to provide daily updates on floating populations under their jurisdiction. The measure contributes greatly to the atomization of the general populace.

“Heads of the people’s

units are required to assess floating populations and frequently visit people

in their homes. If there happen to be any unregistered people they must

ask where they came from, why they are there, and how long they are planning to stay,” the source explained.