North Korean man who caused panic ahead of Putin’s visit arrested

On June 21, a prisoner was arrested after his escape from a police station in Pyongyang’s Sunan district sparked panic shortly before the arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Daily NK learned.

“The man, who is in his 30s, escaped from the police station in the early evening of June 18, during a week of special security measures for Putin’s upcoming visit. The man was finally arrested in the early morning of June 21 in Sosong district,” a source in Pyongyang told Daily NK on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“He was hiding in a friend’s house in the district and was caught after the friend learned that the man was on the wanted list and informed the authorities,” the source added.

According to the source, Sunan District Police were dispatched to arrest the man immediately after receiving the tip-off. Upon arrival, they beat him unconscious. Police then arrested the man and took him to a detention cell run by investigators from the Sunan District Police Station.

Since the man has already escaped from prison before, the police fear that he might make another escape attempt. He is being interrogated in the investigators’ cell, where he has no chance of escaping or being released.

“Sunan district police punish the man by making him sit cross-legged and handcuffing his hands to the bars in front of him. He is only allowed to go to the toilet once a day,” the source said.

The investigator in charge of the case is focusing on the man’s activities after his escape. “If you had caused an accident or disturbance near the airport, you would have been shot on the spot. In addition to your serious crimes, you now have a prison escape on your record. You face a harsh punishment and you will probably not leave prison alive,” the investigator said during the interrogation.

The investigator’s comments were shared with almost everyone in the city, including the man’s family members and police officers familiar with the case, the source said.

“The case is on everyone’s lips because almost everyone in Sunan, Sosong districts and downtown Pyongyang has heard rumors about it after breaking news came that an escaped convict was in the city during the special security week to mark Putin’s visit,” he said.

“A report on the case was submitted to the Ministry of Social Security. Since the incident occurred near Event No. 1 (an event attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un), the ministry ordered that the man be severely punished for disrupting the event and endangering the leader’s safety,” the source said.

The heads of the Sunan District Police Department were also severely reprimanded by the Pyongyang Police Bureau and the Pyongyang Party Committee for failing to control the detainees during an important event involving the head of state, and were forced to write self-criticisms, the source said.

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