About the Author
Fyodor Tertitskiy
Fyodor Tertitskiy is a lecturer at Seoul’s Korea University. He is the author of "Accidental Tyrant: The Life of Kim Il-sung" and several other books on North Korean history and military.
Get behind the headlines
Evergreen Papers, please: North Korea’s identification cardsFrom birth certificates to migration control, official documents are a tool of control ![]() Most countries have identity cards for their citizens. While some people see them as an instrument of state control, most aren't too concerned. Like a knife may be used to cut bread or to murder, ID cards can be used to make people’s lives easier, or to monitor and control them. In the case of North Korea, it is mostly the latter. All citizens have to bear IDs issued by the police – or for those who reside abroad, by a consulate. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. |