North Korea's regime has tightened controls on outside information amid growing popular revolts against despots in the Arab world, South Korean sources and officials say.But analysts say the Kim family is expected to retain its decades-long iron grip on power, in the absence of Internet access and a lack of institutions around which any revolt could coalesce.
"The regime appears to be taking (Middle East democratic movements) seriously. It is now trying hard to stop it from spilling over into the country," Yonhap news agency Thursday quoted a Seoul official as saying.
The hardline communist state has recently strengthened ideological control over its people and further tightened its blockade of outside information, the unidentified official said.
The South's Unification Minister Hyun In-Taek said in a Yonhap interview this week he expects the North to take steps to stop the turmoil spilling over to its 24 million people.
"I think the core of the leadership knows of the situation and sees it. From that viewpoint, it will obviously make efforts to keep the regime from being negatively influenced," Hyun said.
"I believe the North Korean people have yet to learn of the facts (about the Mideast) because the North's television does not report on them and the people can't use the Internet," the minister said. "For now, the direct impact on the people will not be big."
The Daily NK, a Seoul-based Internet newspaper, said special riot squads have been set up in response to turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa.
Following a decree from leader Kim
Dear LeaderJong-Il
... hereditary dictator of North Korea. His definition of
reunificationisn't the same as the definition in Seoul...
, the squads are working to track down any hints of unrest, it quoted a source inside the country as saying.