A/HRC/25/CRP.1 dusts off the portraits of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, pays tribute at their shrines, keeps up with revolutionary history studies, or carries out duties at construction projects.309 • A witness saw his own brother’s resident registration file in 2006, and described how it noted details about the family, including dates when people had moved around the country and details of the family’s connections since 1949. The file also noted the date when the witness’s brother had joined the military. The witness had heard that such files existed, but this was the first time he had seen one for himself. The witness’s family was able to see the resident registration file when security officers came to their house asking about the whereabouts of the witness’s brother, who had fled the DPRK.310 • Another witness saw songbun files because his father was a high-level official, and other people had brought over confidential papers that he was able to read. The files seen by the witness contained a photograph, the grandfather’s name, the person’s good and bad activities (for example, fighting against the Japanese), in addition to three or four signatures of witnesses to these activities. According to the witness, these documents would be checked by officials in cases where an individual seeks a promotion or is accused of having committed a crime.311 285. Individuals’ resident registration files follow them throughout their life. If and when that individuals serve in the military, enters university or joins the workforce, their file is sent to the relevant overseeing authority. A continuing assessment of an individuals’ loyalty to the state would be reflected in the file. At any point when an individual’s loyalty “score” appears low, that individual would be criticized harshly, monitored even more closely, and, in the worst cases, sent for training through labor.312 Low scores can affect applications to enter university or promotions at work. However, individuals are seldom informed of the actual reasons behind an unsuccessful application or lack of advancement at work, even though they can usually infer that the reason is poor songbun.313 286. The local branches of the Ministry of Public Security are tasked to prepare resident registration files based on information provided by the workplace, school, local neighborhood watches and mass organizations. Officials overseeing the mass associations, to which every DPRK citizen must belong, are responsible for collecting relevant information and including them in these files.314 In addition, the Ministry of Public Security maintains a vast network of secret informants. 315 287. Resident registration files record all available information on the background of family members, in some cases going back as far as the Japanese colonial period. The original files are kept in hardcopy by the Ministry of People’s Security.316 Other security agencies and the Workers’ Party of Korea receive copies that are also accessible to relevant senior local cadres like the manager of a person’s workplace. In addition, files of family members are cross-referenced. This makes it virtually impossible to alter a file without risking eventual detection and subsequent harsh punishment. 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 80 TAP006. TSH009. TLC035. TAP007. TAP002, TAP008. TAP006, TAP015, TLC035, TSH009. TSH051. There is some information indicating that the resident registration file has also been computerized since the early 2000s, although it is not clear how far access is granted in consideration of the risk of leaks.