N. Korea temporarily banned cellphone use after killing of Soleimani

After killing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leader Qasem Soleimani in January, the U.S. reportedly monitored North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s every move and mental state through all-source intelligence.

According to the analysis, the North Korean leader suffered from extreme anxiety and shock after learning about the killing of Soleimani and focused on grasping the situation in Pyongyang. Meanwhile, the North Korean authorities reportedly banned the use of all cellphones in North Korea for several weeks. A U.S. administration official told The Dong-A Ilbo on Monday that the findings are based on the all-source intelligence collected by the U.S. intelligence agencies.

All-source intelligence refers to all sources of information and intelligence, including human intelligence (HUMINT), imagery intelligence (IMIT), and signals intelligence (SIGINT). There have been speculations that the North Korean leadership might have been shocked by the U.S. killing of Soleimani. But this is the first time that the U.S. intelligence agency understood the mental condition of Kim Jong Un and the North Korean leadership using its intelligence assets.

North Korea also banned the use of all cellphones in North Korea in an attempt to block outside information and prevent external threats. The U.S. reportedly analyzed intelligence on mobile phone base stations in North Korea to understand the circumstances.


jkim@donga.com