North Korea Is Reportedly Purchasing Phone-Tapping Devices From Abroad To Better Spy On Citizens

North Korea is allegedly importing international technology in order to better spy on its citizens. The devices will help the government’s phone-tapping operations, giving a boost to the mass surveillance system already implemented throughout the country.

According to the Daily NK, the technology was imported into the Hermit Kingdom in late May. Three of the devices are going to be set up in the capital city, Pyongyang.

As was previously reported by The Inquisitr, the city has been going through a period of deep unrest as food rations have not been given to members of the population for months. This level of food scarcity has not been seen since the great famines that plagued the country in the 1990s.

The insider added that the other devices, which will be placed in a number of other provinces and cities, will be installed by the end of June.

“The government purchased 15 phone-tapping devices from a German-Chinese joint venture to monitor mobile phone calls in the country,” a North Hamgyong Province-based source claimed.

“The devices are currently being installed,” they added.

Technology experts have reported that once the technology is fully functional, the North Korean government — led by Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un — will be able to eavesdrop on any mobile calls that use either of the country’s two major service providers.

The source also revealed the likely targets of the new phone-tapping initiative.

“The first targets for government surveillance will be those living in border regions, including the family members of defectors and illegal border crossers,” they explained.

“The surveillance will later be expanded to other areas of the country,” the insider added.

In an unusual move, the communist regime is letting citizens know of its new surveillance capabilities. According to the news outlet, post offices — where North Koreans go to subscribe to mobile access — have been told to let customers know the authorities will be able to listen in on all conversations.

Meanwhile, North Korea is already well known for its police state system.

“The state has absolute and systematic control of all forms of telecommunications,” Amnesty International described in an article.

“It actively spies on its citizens through mass surveillance programs, and curtails the information that North Koreans have about their country and the outside world by censoring online media,” the piece concluded.

The move comes as North Korea has decided to end all forms of communication with neighbor South Korea. As was previously reported by The Inquisitr, Kim Jong Un’s sister blamed “mongrel dog” defectors for the new measures.