A witness’s uncle disappeared into a political prison camp because of unfavorable remarks he made about Kim Jong-il. The uncle’s disappearance stained the songbun of the entire family. The witness graduated in 1994 and passed the entry-level exam for political cadres. Only then did his father reveal to him the uncle’s fate and told him that he would be prevented from a political career and could at best reach administrative or technical positions… His older brother, who served with distinction in the military and was recommended for the officer track, was denied entry to the military academy due to the family songbun. His younger brother and the father experienced similar problems.
Everyone has an official folder kept by the state with details of family ties, movements and minor indiscretions. If there’s a black mark anywhere on your file not only will you not know, but you can’t request to see it and you can’t contest it either. In some cases it’s possible to bribe an official to remove certain information, but as information is cross referenced in multiple files there’s a strong possibility of being caught out so it’s not worth the risk.
☛ More: Inside North Korea: Unbelievable Excerpts From UN Report #2
