It has been reported that an Ministry of State Security agent working as a surveillance patrol officer at the No. 10 guard post in Hoeryong City, North Hamgyong Province, was stabbed by a knife-wielding assailant while on duty. The Ministry of State Security immediately dispatched a team of investigators to the region, but has yet to identify suspects.
The incident occurred on May 9 and the victim remains in a critical condition. Due to timely aid from his colleagues, he managed to survive and is currently in hospital.
“The Ministry of State Security (MSS) dispatched agents to Hoeryong to track down the suspect immediately after the incident. There are mobile inspection posts set up across Hoeryong to investigate residents who move in and out of the city. The incident is being treated very seriously because it occurred in the border region and it was an MSS official who was attacked,” a source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK.
The North Korean authorities have classified the case as a serious anti-state crime, rather than a mere attempted murder or retaliative action.
“The authorities instantly blamed South Korea as being behind the incident despite being unable to determine whether the suspect attacked the inspector out of revenge or if it was unplanned,” he said.
However, most of the residents believe that the case is in retaliation to the corrupt authorities. Some believe that the suspect could have attacked the inspector out of anger as MSS agents frequently demand bribes for leniency on trade or smuggling.
“Some residents are saying that the agent must have done something to warrant the attack,” said separate source in North Hamgyong Province.
“People are saying that they feel sorry for the agent who was attacked, but the MSS agents must treat this case as an opportunity to understand the motive. It shows that people are becoming violently hostile to corrupt agents in the border areas like Hoeryong City.”
Earlier, in mid March, a North Korean resident in his 40s assaulted an investigator (who was in charge of his preliminary investigation) due to abuse he suffered during an inspection and has since thought to have escaped. Domestic resistance from the people of North Korea appears to be on the rise.
