North Korea has overhauled its standards and selection criteria for security officers working overseas after allegations of abuse came to light involving recently repatriated agent Choi Sung Chol, who reportedly mistreated laborers dispatched to Russia.
North Korean authorities, concerned about damage to the country’s image abroad following Daily NK’s exposé on Choi’s corruption, have implemented multi-layered mechanisms to prevent similar incidents in the future.
According to a high-ranking source within North Korea who spoke to Daily NK on Monday, the Ministry of State Security’s politburo issued a policy late last month titled “Reorganizing onsite organizational control system for companies overseas.” The policy mandates weekly ideological and business reviews, along with written reports from security officers.
“This policy signals that security officers must avoid corruption, such as taking bribes, and monitor each other closely,” the source explained. “Internal messaging emphasizes that North Korea must not give South Korea any opportunity to damage its international reputation.”
The selection process for overseas security officers has become increasingly stringent. Candidates from North Hamgyong province, Ryanggang province, and other regions along the China-North Korea border are now excluded due to concerns they may have been “already exposed to the enemy.”
Those with previous overseas postings are also being disqualified. The authorities prefer to select new individuals, believing that those with foreign experience might know how to engage in corruption without detection.
The ministry’s organizational bureau is conducting confidential “re-vettings” of previously selected security officers awaiting overseas deployment. Those found to have engaged in problematic behavior—including violence, bribery, or making “impure statements”—will be removed from consideration.
“The goal is to identify and exclude individuals who might cause problems abroad by earning resentment or inspiring vengeance,” the source said. “Ultimately, they want to send security personnel with exceptional revolutionary class consciousness who can effectively manage people overseas.”
This preventive approach has influenced training for security officers destined for foreign posts. Recent instruction has emphasized that officers must “treat workers gently and kindly while encouraging them to meet state foreign currency quotas, preventing escapes or resistance.”
Attendees receive additional training in worker management techniques and technology to block internet access. Authorities appear focused on developing security officers who can effectively control and monitor workers.
“Previously, generating foreign currency was considered the highest form of loyalty to the party and state,” the source noted. “Now, the ideal candidates for overseas service are security officers who can both produce results and win people’s trust.”
The changes have created tension between different ranks of security agents. Higher-ranked officers are concerned about potential exposure by their subordinates, believing workers might report wrongdoing due to lower-ranked officers’ perceived powerlessness.
Meanwhile, lower-ranked security officers, who directly manage workers, complain about being caught in the middle. They argue that when superiors demand cash payments, they have “no choice but to take bribes, which increases worker resentment,” highlighting the problematic structure of the bribery system.
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