CIVILIAN DOCUMENTATION IN NORTH KOREA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R015500390004-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 2, 2006
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: December 23, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2006/03/03 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO15500390004-8
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
CLASSIFICATION, SECRET
INFORMATION REPORT REPORT
COUNTRY Korea
SUBJECT Civil
DATE OF
I N FO.
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE DISTR. 2-1 De-,,er e.
NO. OF PAGES
NO. OF ENCLS
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
25X1 REPORT NO.
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON 15
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
In early June 19E the following documer,Is were used by civiliacs No-
Korea:
ao Citizenship certificate. The basic document or all civilians of c ii -e
of 17 and over.' was the citizenship certificate. The North Koreans were
using certificates w h.i.ch had been issued before the start of the Ko-: ea a
via; A but which had been chopped in June 1952 by local police static: Temporary- certificates were issued to those who had lost the pre-wa
certificates and were chopped by local pol.ic e stations during the pF :i.o a
15 to 30 March 1951. The loss of the citizenship certificate had t.- to
reported t o the local plo;.Lce station where an application for the reiss. e
of the certificate ~vas made ova+1. A ropy of the approved appli; atioe ? o r1 i
be used in place of the ert4 fica to for a period of one week, but w . a n A
considered as acceptable for identification as the actual cer,ifica, e.
b. Birth certificate. The birth certificate was the basic document fog,
persons under the age of .17. It, had to be exchanged for a citizen is
certificate at the seventeenth birthday.
c. Military cer -%if irate. Ixr? ned.i.ately after the beginning of the Korea--- wa
a military certificate was issued to all men between the ages of 17 and 4
This certificate was chopped by the Military Mobilization Board in Marc"
1951. Temporary military c.er?tificates were issued to those who for some
reason did not, receive a document during the o: iginal distribution.
d. Factory identification card.. A .factory identification and was .-i.ssl.. ed+ c
persons employed regularly by North Korean factories. These cards were
difficult to obtain, especially from government. o#ened factories., sir re nar -
persons would work at a factory only a few days to obtain a card, wt.ich
exempted them from compulsory labor mob.l',_" ization. A card issued by
Approved For Release 2006/03/03 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO15500390004-8
 Approved For Release 2006/03/03 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO15500390004-8
government-owned factory could be used in place of the citizenship :erti
ficate.for identification.
e. Employment card. Technical experts and employees of long sercric.;e were
issued an employment card which could be used for identification. he
card permitted free movement in the area of employment, but the mi.Lta;r
certificate and the citizenship certificate were necessary for trammel
outside the area.
f. Attendance card. All workers were issued an attendance card which .cu..d
be used for identification. The card recorded the title of the ,jot:
place of work, and daily attendance or absence and. was chopped by lie
employer.
g. Military training card. Men between the ages of 16 and 31. were iszied a
military training card which recorded daily military training and was
chopped by the training officer. This training was begun in Januar 166:
and had to be taken by all within the age group, except those empl .'ed
by the government-owned factories. Cards were issued without inaui_:y
and investigation to those who requested them from the local training
officer.
ho Official travel certificates. Travel certificates were issued by t, ~ve.ru
went organizations, political and social. organizations, and government
owned factories to employees on official business. The document had nu
special form, and merely included the pertinent facts written on a -?.ai-
piece of white paper chopped by-the organization. Besides the travel
certificate, a citizenship card, military certificate, and a facto: -;
identification card or letter of credence was needed while traveili-,g.
i.
Letter of credence. A letter of credence was issued by factories
employees dispatched on official business if the employees did not ..os3e-
the factory identification card.
j.
Passage
police
and the
certificate. A passage certificate was issued by the brans.-,
station, the local official of the Ministry of Internal. Affa_rs,
city or the village people's committee to civilians who ha;.
private business in another area. In. theory the certificate clould -;.ot bs
issued for commercial use, but wealthy merchants often bribed loc.a_
officials. 'Women and old persons could travel inside a pro-since with
passage certificate, but young men could travel only about 10 miles with
it. The certificate issued by the Ministry of Internal Affairs was the
most powerful.
k. Immunization certificate. The immunization certificate had to be carr e+
only during periods when the government was giving innncculaLions.
Approved For Release 2006/03/03 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO15500390004-8