The existence of a covert surveillance organization in North Korea, known as Group 84 (84 Bureau, 84 Unified Command), has been uncovered for the first time. Its primary mission is to monitor military units and personnel.
This revelation comes from a recent report commissioned by the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI), a government-funded research organization under the Prime Minister’s Office, as confirmed on Friday.
The report indicates that Group 84 was established around 2021 under directives from the Central Committee. The term Group is derived from the Russian word for group and is used as a code name for the Unified Command, likely reflecting its status as an unofficial alliance organization.
According to the report, Group 84 monitors all military units and affiliated individuals nationwide. Given its role in overseeing military personnel, it’s believed that members of the People’s Army Security Bureau are also involved in the organization.
Group 84 primarily targets activities deemed anti-socialist or non-socialist, including the illegal distribution and viewing of foreign media, corruption, smuggling, illegal cellphone use, unemployment, common-law marriages, excessive use of foreign words, prostitution, and superstitious practices.
A notable predecessor is Group 109 (109 Bureau, 109 Unified Command), believed to have been established in 2004. The 2024 North Korea Human Rights Report suggests that Group 109 expanded its activities following the enactment of North Korea’s ‘Anti-Hostile Ideology and Culture Law’ in 2020, leading to its reorganization into Group 82.
However, Group 84 reportedly focuses on military personnel and officials from foreign currency-earning trade organizations and defense industries. This marks the first confirmation of North Korea operating a secret surveillance organization specifically targeting its military. The report suggests that Group 82, composed of personnel from agencies equivalent to the National Intelligence Service or police, had limitations in overseeing the military and its affiliated institutions, necessitating the formation of a new organization.
While the specific activities of Group 84 remain unclear, analysts believe North Korea established this new organization to tighten the Party’s control over the military, a key element of Kim Jong Un’s governance strategy. Since taking power, Kim has focused on centralizing control through the Workers’ Party, departing from his father Kim Jong Il’s military-first approach.
Notably, Group 84’s scrutiny of foreign currency-earning trade organizations and defense industries suggests that North Korean authorities recognize that cutting off funding, similar to international sanctions, is a powerful means of control. Paradoxically, there are indications that corruption within the military has led to significant illicit funds, and cracking down on these may serve to increase regime resources while diminishing military autonomy.
Use of South Korean Expressions on Cellphones Leads to Automatic Blocking…Red Flag Program Raises Concerns
The report also includes testimonies from defectors regarding the regime’s control over citizens’ mobile phones. A defector in their 20s, identified as A, stated that if you use South Korean phrases like, Did you eat, oppa? the message doesn’t go through. The service center blocks it immediately.
Another program, named Red Flag, monitors mobile phone screens. A defector in their 40s, identified as B, explained that it monitors the screen in real-time, can delete messages, and blocks access to any external media. This implies that authorities can effectively monitor all of North Korea’s estimated 6 million mobile phone users in real-time.
This research was conducted from August to October, led by Kim Young-hee, a visiting researcher at Dongguk University’s North Korea Research Institute, with co-researchers Kim Soo-yeon and Yoon Se-ra.