[“Good Friends” aims to help the North Korean people from a humanistic point of view and publishes “North Korea Today” describing the way the North Korean people live as accurately as possible. We at Good Friends also hope to be a bridge between the North Korean people and the world.]
___________________________________________________________________________
[Intro] The Power of A bowl of Rice
In Hoeryong, 10 Days Food Rations is Like Having “A New Life”
Nationwide Rally of Loyalty
In the Beginning of This year, Many Homes Up for Sale
Pyongyang Officials Use Bank Cards Instead of Foreign Currencies
“Giving Up the Pride of a Teacher, and Losing Face As Well”
Concerns About Childcare Problems Among Wealthy Pyongyang Mothers
___________________________________________________________________________
[Intro] The Power of a Bowl of Rice
A sick mother is making grass porridge mixed with a handful of corn for her 11 year old son, who is about to go out to collect fire wood in the early morning hours. It’s not enough food for both of them. The mother puts her porridge into her son’s bowl while he is not looking. This is a scene from “Winter Butterfly” a 2011 non-fiction movie of what happened 10 years ago in North Hwanghae Province. It was produced by a North Korean movie director Kim Kyu-Min. The movie shows that the mother eventually couldn’t even feed her son who had fainted and was dying from hunger. She finally kneels down in front of a portrait of the Supreme Leader and prays desperately to be able to feed her son a bowl of rice. But it has a tragic ending.
A woman in Hoeryong, who was so thankful for having received 10 days of food rations at the beginning of the New Year, reminded me of this movie. I felt that the North Korean people would ask us what we did while they were starving to death. We are doing nothing although North Koreans’ survival depends upon a bowl of porridge. I strongly make an appeal to the South Korean government and international community for humanitarian aid to support North Koreans who are undergoing another harsh winter.
In Hoeryong, 10 Days Food Rations is Like Having “A New Life”
Three off-days were given as a holiday to commemorate Kim Jung-Un’s birthday, the chairman of the Party’s Central Military Commission. But the leave was cancelled on January 8th, which was his actual birthday. Kim Jung-Un didn’t even take one day off, saying, “how can I celebrate my birthday while we’re mourning for the Supreme Leader’s death?” Instead, food rations were distributed for 10 days beginning Thursday, January 5th in Hoeryong City, North Hamgyeong Province. The mixture ratio of rice to corn in the food ration was 1 to 9, which was scanty. It compared unfavourably to the 5-5 or 3-7 ratios in prior years. Yet it was still a good fortune to have anything. A woman that we met, a mother of a child, said that this was like having “a new life”. She was just so thankful for getting rice and corn regardless of the mixture ratio. This was the first food distribution since 2 Kilograms of rice were distributed on November 13, 2011. She said she still remembers that day with gratitude and described it in detail.
On that November morning, farm workers were heading to the farm management office in order to receive rice rations that were made available from either the Chinese or another foreign aid. People made so many excuses to stay away from mandatory farm mobilization during the harvest season, but it was different that morning. The courtyard was filled with people. It was even a Sunday. The farm police officer, the security agent, the secretary of Divisional Party, and the management committee were seated precariously on wooden chairs. People stepped forward as their names were called by the farm manager and received 2 kilograms of rice after all paperwork was completed.
Half of the rice administered by the central government is sent to the People’s army, and some of the remaining quantity is for coalmines, power plant construction sites and other locations; therefore, only about 2kg of rice is distributed to each household. Whilst the distribution of rice was processed, a strange person who looked like an official disappeared to the downtown area with 10 bags of rice after having short conversation with four other officials. A neighbor called Myunghak suspected that the rice was being sent to another Special Labor Brigade, but no one responded to it and Myunghak did not intend to search for any answers.
“There are no symbols or lettering on the surface of the rice bag. Who was generous enough to send this rice? Those who sent this rice could not possibly imagine how much a 2kg bag of rice means to those of us living on corn porridge. If we trade the rice and corn, our four family members can eat corn rice instead of one or two meals of corn porridge. Rice costs 2,500 won/kg, and corn is 750 won/kg, so we could get 6-7kg of corn for selling rice. Half of the rice could also be for with corn, and the rest for fuel firewood”. Chulee is a mother who is busy thinking about a better deal she could get by leveraging this ration.
Finally, after she came back with rice, she cooked a porridge using a handful of rice with water and wanted to fill her stomach with porridge. She seasoned the porridge with a spoonful of Chinese seasoning. Rice porridge is nothing like corn porridge. Even one spoonful tastes so much better and it sets her up for a more effective day. The whole family was overjoyed by one bowl of rice porridge, and Mother Chulee couldn’t contain her joy saying, “Rice contains many kinds of essential nutrition that is necessary for body and can keep us from malnutrition”. However, the joy lasted for a brief moment, and she also had to think about the next day’s meal. “We have this rice today but how about tomorrow? Tomorrow is tomorrow, live or die, that’s all. We have survived with corn porridge so far, and so this seemed like a dream for her family that they would receive rive distribution ay state price for 10 days, regardless whether the rations are rice and corn.
Nationwide Rally of Loyalty
Workplaces, businesses, and neighbourhood units across the country held rallies to show their allegiance toward the newly appointed Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un. Everyone chanted and expressed their determination to “turn grief into strength and courage and pave the way for the Juche Revolution.” It has been decided that the border will undergo a period of tightened security until January 10th. Each guard post stationed at the mountain peaks will use a telescope to conduct searches on populated streets and monitor the residents who climb the mountains to look for firewood. Searches will be more thorough for visitors of the area. The tightened security is expected to loosen up only after the Lunar New Year. Supplies from China have not been able to get to their destinations because the border customs have shut down due to Kim Jong Il’s death. The Chinese government, in view of Kim’s mourning period, extended the docket warrant expiration until the end of January.
At the Beginning of This Year, Many Homes up for Sale
The year started with a surge in houses put up for sale. Those who were barely able to afford to buy homes before the currency reform now seek to raise start-up capital by selling their houses.
The sales prices of decent single-family houses range from 5 million won to 15 million won, which is equivalent to 2 million yuan and 3,000 US dollars. Since it is too large a sum for most people, homeowners have difficulty finding potential buyers. Only the wealthiest people and rich officials, who can afford multiple houses, are running around for a best deal.
Lee Myongsuk from Chungjin, North Hamgyong Province bought her single-family house for 1.5 million won in 1997 with 40 thousands yuan of financial support from relatives in Yanji, China, and 500 thousand won from selling the house she had lived in previously. It has a small vegetable garden and an outhouse. She had been doing fine with the house until the 2009 currency reform, when the national economy collapsed. She failed to find anyone interested in buying the house she recently put up for sale for 5 million won.
Last year, she ran a business selling to retailers all types of Chinese goods coming out of Rajin- Sunbong—cigarettes, home electronics, and other consumer goods—with help from relatives in China. The business was not good enough to bring her back to the level of economic stability she had enjoyed before. While she is planning to revive her career by opening a used clothing store with the money from selling her house, she is still worried by the slim prospect of finding a buyer.
Officials in Pyongyang Use Bank Cards Instead of Foreign Currencies
The new nationwide prohibition of the use of foreign currency now allows only foreigners in Pyongyang to use foreign currencies. Thus far, the prohibition has had limited impact on Pyongyang officials’ use of services that only accept foreign currencies. These officials replaced the actual foreign currencies with a bank issued money card. This card could be issued to anyone who deposited a minimum of $1,000 US dollars in a bank.
A Central Party official said that some of the party's officials were relieved by the minimal impact on their daily spending by using the bank cards. It is a different story, however, when foreign trades are considered. Therefore, the relief felt by the officials was too immature. The use of the bank issued money cards could create obstacles in trades with China. These obstacles would have more profound effects in local markets compared to those in Pyongyang. Even with the adaptation of the bank cards in local markets, trading Chinese goods in those markets might not be as easy as it could have been with foreign currencies on hand. The Central Party official continued to point out that, making the matter worse, the banking system in North Korea has been known for frustrating citizens when it came to customer satisfaction. He predicted that all these obstacles could end up putting more and more pressure on local governments’ capability in securing local finance. Some other local government officials shared the similar opinion as this Central Party official.
According to an official in Sinuiju, not using foreign currency as it faces the loss of the value of North Korean currency would make purchasing Chinese goods very difficult. He stated that the people would be dead if the government could not provide goods and/ or food to them. This would be the same even for people who had foreign currencies on hand, just as much as for the poor. People can’t purchase goods if they are not available. A surplus in importing goods and/ or food from China would lower prices for imports. However, the lowered prices and surplus of Chinese goods might not happen if the prohibition were enforced at all levels. The official worried over the negative relationship between livelihoods of people and the prohibition, which would worsen upon the lack of supply of essential living necessities.
An official from Hyesan, Ryanggang Province said that he did not believe that the government would enforce the prohibition on Chinese currency without a through prior preparation. North Korea has relied heavily on China since the Arduous March, and most of North Korea’s overseas representatives are located in China. According to him, the prohibition could cause more apprehension among North Koreans than the one from the currency reform. This was why he was shocked when the prohibition was carried on. He could not believe the government was so numb to all these situations. Trading officers in China voiced the same opinion about the prohibition; it would peter out sooner than what happened with the currency reform.
At the same time, Safety Bureaus had been conducting a nationwide raid on people who used foreign currencies such as US dollars at stores or in markets. The officers from the bureaus focused on finding sources of foreign currencies after confiscating the foreign money. Under the intensified enforcement, people who are just asking around for exchange rates would be considered disloyal people. It was therefore difficult to ask about exchange rates, since the person could be reported to a local Safety Bureau or be mistaken an undercover Safety Bureau officer trying to identify locals using foreign currencies. Consequently, people put up their guard against others asking for exchange rates. There was also a rumour among North Koreans regarding the prohibition. It was said, "on December 14, 2011, the General Kim Jung-il left an order on his will about the prohibition of foreign currency use. To follow his will, the government is trying to circulate NK won (exchange vouchers) instead of Yuan (Renminbi) or US dollars.”
“Giving Up the Pride of a Teacher, and Losing Face As Well”
Jang Soo-myung (alias) is a 3rd grade teacher at the People’s School, in Haesan City, Ryanggang Province. The People’s School is 4 years old, and students must acquire their own uniforms and school supplies. The middle school is 5 years old and the student also must provide for everything. Winter heating is the same; during school days, each student is assigned daily to bring some coal or wood from their home to the school. One might think that students have a vacation during winter, but, in fact, they don’t. Winter vacation of the People’s School is from December through February 16th, and from December through mid-January at the middle school. [After the winter vacation] each student is required to bring 3 buckets of “Heuk-bo-san” composts (human feces) per student when schools reopen. This is not as easy as it sounds since people or animals need to eat something to produce waste; so, students and their parents worry more and more about this as the school reopening date approaches.
In the past, while the great leader was alive, each classroom was full of students and school grounds were filled with children playing, chatting, and full of laughing sounds during recess hours. Then, many things changed during the Arduous March period [in late 1990’s].
First of all, the child population sharply decreased.
Not only is it hard for young people to get married, but many couples hardly want to have their own children because they think they can live a better life without a child. They do not want to come across more trouble by having a child, since adding one more mouth to feed in their family makes their life tougher. Even if they have a baby, raising a baby is difficult and raising a healthy baby in a stable setting is more difficult. Babies’ legs become scrawny, rachitic, O-shaped bowed legs due to malnutrition if the parents cannot provide for the child. Giving birth to a healthy baby is but a wish in parents’ hearts. The Party continues to say that people should be giving birth to healthy babies and raising them well, and then sending them to the People’s Army; however that is not realistic in such a dire situation in which individuals can scarcely feed themselves. By the time most children are 17 years old, which is when they join the army, they are shorter than 150cm in height, and below 45Kg in weight on the average.
The lower grades have fewer students. The children, whose families are so poor that they do not even have enough money to buy a corn and rice mix, do not go to school and instead work in small patches of farm land or in markets in order to help their parents. The Kkotjebis [young homeless children] roam in the markets or train stations, and there are many children who left their homes long ago; there is now no way of contacting them in order to find out where and how they are surviving. Some may have gone to China, drowned in the Yalu, or been shot to death by border patrols. Nobody knows.
The number of students is dwindling more and more, and working as a teacher is also becoming harder and harder. Jang used to make money by secretly teaching the children of rich families how to play the accordion, but Jang lost the tutoring job as the children lost their interest in the accordion. Jang started collecting kindling with a 10 years old son, but the long trip to and fro in the cold winter cannot be easy. Despite losing the job as a teacher long time ago, Jang is still looking for tutoring jobs at any opportunity. The delightful study room full of laughter, playing the accordion with the students in the classroom has become a distant memory.
Concerns About Childcare Problems Among Wealthy Pyongyang Mothers
Since it is a trend for North Korean women to get married at a later age, mothers with babies are, for the most part, in their thirties. They have little interest in marrying in their twenties because they are busy taking care of their own families; so many women end up getting married in their thirties. Their main concern is childcare. Women have no option but to earn money on the side because their husbands’ monthly wage is not sufficient to provide for the family , but there is nowhere they can leave their children with confidence. Previously, when parents gave birth to a child, they would leave their children in day-care. After the food crisis, however, the children were not properly fed and many times would come back with illnesses, so mothers would instead try to bring their children with them. Also, since many women are engaged in trading in markets, their primary interest is to find reliable goods in amongst the infant products sold in the market. Young mothers want to raise their children well, no matter how bad their situation, so they want to avoid anything that will adversely affect their children’s health, rather than simply buying a product because it is from China.
Whereas young mothers in the provinces raise their children by trudging through tough lives, well-off mothers in their thirties who live in Pyongyang can focus on childcare with relative ease. Wealthy households in Pyongyang sometimes purchase dolls that are displayed in state-run stores, and some of them are of famous character brands such as Mashimaro or Hello Kitty. Ms. Han Mi-kyung (alias), who is thirty-two years old this year, says that her five-year old daughter desperately wanted a cuddly rabbit, and Ms. Han remembered that her father had also brought her a doll as a gift when he came back home from a foreign country when she was a child, so she just made up her mind to buy one for her. However, Ms. Han had to think hard before buying a simple doll because her husband did not have a stable income. Ms. Han’s wish is for her husband to establish himself as soon as possible so that her domestic economy might stabilize to such an extent that they can achieve financial independence from her parents. By implication, this is to say that she is still receiving financial support from her parents.
Seo Eun-young (alias), who is employed at a hotel, is a mother of a four-year old child, and she speaks about the difficulties of providing her child with food as the child grows up rapidly. Ms. Seo also receives parental support; she says, “If there is no support from the parents, it is difficult to maintain our livelihoods, and to sustain the family. The reality these days is such that if the parents are poor, their children will also be poor.”
Most young women in Pyongyang in their thirties receive support from their parents or husband’s parents. In other words, their parents have some secret sources of funds to make payments even though their husbands do not have a stable enough income because they are young and do not hold a high position. "As for young husbands who are successful, even if they have an extra-marital relationship with one or two women, their spouses cannot openly express their jealousy because they may not receive living expenses from their parents anymore if they are thrown out of their homes. Even if their hearts bear such a burden, they can only speak ill of it behind their husbands backs, and they are forced to behave like good wives and wise mothers on the outside. That is our reality as women in our thirties in Pyongyang,” says Ms. Seo with bitterness.
Friday, March 2, 2012
North Korea Today No. 437 January 11, 2012
[“Good Friends” aims to help the North Korean people from a humanistic point of view and publishes “North Korea Today” describing the way the North Korean people live as accurately as possible. We at Good Friends also hope to be a bridge between the North Korean people and the world.]
___________________________________________________________________________
The Ban of Yuan in Markets
Banning Chinese Yuan to Cut off Domestic Connections to Defectors Overseas
Chilling Effects of Inspection in Border Areas
Defectors said: “Please put me in Chinese jail”
Will the new government succeed or fail? Year 2012 holds the answer
___________________________________________________________________________
The Ban of Yuan in Markets
The Central Party has ordered a policy banning the use of Chinese currency, Renminbi (yuan), which is being circulated in markets in North Korea. Instruction is repeatedly given in workplaces, public enterprises, schools and neighborhood units, "to go to banks and exchange yuan and other foreign currencies for domestic currency." If caught using yuan in markets or circulating it, the money will be confiscated and the person will be severely punished. In particular, it is warned that if caught using yuan in markets, goods and money will be confiscated on sight and the person will never again be able to do business in the market. Such order was made despite the fact that the mourning period for Kim Jong-il’s death is not yet over. A Central Party Official said, "We are just carrying out the policy that had been adopted last October"; he sees the measure as a part of the new leadership's policy.
The measure banning the use of yuan conveys the will of Kim Jong-un, the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party. It is an attempt to slow down the trend of increasing economic dependence toward China. The portion of yuan used in North Korea's official and unofficial markets has been on the rise. During the Arduous March, yuan began to replace domestic currency in markets. The failure of currency revaluation on November 31, 2009, paradoxically solidified the status of yuan in North Korea. While yuan is not as important as the dollar or euro, the North Korean government is vigilant about its circulation, because it is widely used even by ordinary residents. Especially since the currency revaluation measure, merchants do not sell goods unless paid with yuan or dollar, aggravating the hardship of ordinary citizens. There is an opinion that "families with no relatives or defectors have no chance to have an access to foreign currencies. Increased filing of complaints that people with no yuan have difficulties buying goods could be another reason for taking the measure restricting the use of yuan."
Banning Chinese Yuan to Cut off Domestic Connections to Defectors Overseas
The effect of banning Chinese yuan on the domestic industrial development in North Korea remains to be seen. Some view that this decision was not made solely with economic considerations. A government official said that defectors seem to be behind the domestic circulation of the yuan, and that the ban aims to cut the defectors off from their domestic connections, attributing the inflow of yuan to families of defectors. “Due to tough living conditions, there are many people who have illusions about China and other foreign countries including South Korea, the United States, and Japan. Those who have an unhealthy ideology smuggle goods and commit crimes to obtain the yuan, and even leave for China and South Korea. These people who make it to South Korea after going to China use Korean-Chinese and North Koreans of Chinese origin as liaisons to send Chinese yuan into North Korea, while stealing domestic information and secret intelligence. They also spread words that are harmful to our country, and fabricate false stories. With an increase in these treasonous acts, a fundamental solution has been required.”
It means that the purpose of the ban on foreign currency is to promote industrial development and, and also cut defectors off from their domestic connections. This can be viewed as the continuation of the ban on foreign exchange transactions, which was an extension of the 2009 currency reform. On December 28, 2009, the North Korean government issued a decree on banning foreign exchange transactions without governmental approvals. People’s Safety Agency even threatened that after January 1 in the following year, using foreign currency in criminal activities such as selling things in truck, smuggling, or illegal border crossing can result in maximum penalty. However, the policy was not put in effect in reality, as social turmoil intensified with the soaring price of food and goods and death by starvation. Even some government officials do not have confidence about resuming the failed policy, and many say that they will have to take some time to see how well and thoroughly the new leadership is prepared.
Chilling Effects of Inspection in Border Areas
During the time of mourning of Kim Jong Il's death , there was tighter security on the borders than usual. It was so intense that some say it was blood-chilling. At Hwaryung in North Hamkyung Province, there have already been ten people captured and sent to jail. It used be the case that if border crossers, when caught, said that they were going to see the relatives in China to ask for help because of the desperate living conditions, they could expect some leniency. However, in this case, it was different: they were all sent straight to jail. A security officer strongly warned that from now on any border-crosser, regardless of the reason or his position, would not be able to politically survive in the country."
Those with cell phones are extremely cautious these days. Those spotted by satellite surveillance are also being punished severely. There have also been inhumane and degrading punishments. In Haesan-Shi, Ryang-gang Province, a resident who was caught using cell phone was made to walk three days with chains around his neck and feet. He was sentenced to life in prison, and his family was banished into the mountains. There is a wide spread rumor that the life sentence was just for show and that he might have already died because of the beatings he received while he walked around with chains on his feet and neck.
Security officers are raising their voices saying, that anyone using a cell phone should not expect to live another day. At present, if you get caught using a cell phone, it does not matter if you are a political elite; they will fully investigate the situation, and punish you severely. They are trying to stop national information leaking to outside. Even those inside the Security Office are not allowed to use a cell phone unless it is an emergency. The Security Office is issuing daily directives ordering to keep a close eye on civilians and government officials, and to deal with any minor incidents severely so that there should be no disturbances or agitation. As the people have become frightened, the number of people trying to get rid of their cell phones has increased. One phone can be traded for around 500 yuan, and phone cards valued at 100 are traded for around 200 yuan.
Defectors said: “Please put me in Chinese jail”
Only a handful of days have passed since the year 2012 began. Yet the border patrols around the Domun area in China have already caught about 10 defectors and sent them back to North Korea. The interrogation report shows that all of the defectors crossed the border due to hunger.
When the interrogator asked why they dared to cross the border while knowing that their lives were at stake, they responded with the same answer: "I had nothing to lose. I would have died anyway if I had stayed home. I was convinced and told myself: if I am doomed to death either way, I would rather choose to die trying to get out of the misery in North Korea. I was overjoyed when I survived crossing the border and got into China. But I got caught here in China."
They all begged the Chinese officials not to send them back to North Korea.
Some of them asked to be put in Chinese prisons. "I can do the chores or any work in the jail. If you cannot keep me here, then kill me. I would rather die here than go back to North Korea," said some desperate defectors. The Chinese officials who are weary of international pressure on human rights issues have ordered border patrols to send the border crossers back home on the spot when they get caught along the river instead of taking them into interrogation in China.
"It is not that simple to keep them in Chinese prisons. Our current policy on North Korean defectors is to send them back to their country immediately when they get caught along the border. Due to the severe food shortage in North Korea, the number of border crossers remains high. Even though the border surveillance on the other side has been tightened, the inflow of North Korean defectors to China does not seem to slow down. I can clearly see how desperate they are," one of the border patrol officers said.
Will the new government succeed or fail? Year 2012 holds the answer
The central government officials affirm that now the nation is more stable and sanguine than ever. They assess that the newly-formed Organization and Guidance Department is in control of all the areas in the country and it is fully prepared for any unexpected incidents. They also reckon that whether the new government succeeds or fails will depend on how it leads the country in 2012; will the new government continue the same strategy to which the Kim Jong-il regime adhered, closing the door to the outside world tightly and putting intense surveillance on people, or will it embrace foreign investment which will stimulate domestic economic growth? In short, the new government's success will depend on its foreign policy, and they foresee that China's influence on all domestic and foreign policies will increase. While his predecessor treated China as an equal partner, the new Kim will face a new dynamic in relationship with China; its influence will permeate North Korea's economy, politics, military, and other areas, resulting in imbalance of power.
"As far as the opportunity to expand its influence in the Korean Peninsula is concerned, the USA may have lost its chance," one of the government officials commented. "But there is still a chance and the chance should be now when the new government just has begun its era. The USA must change its attitude toward North Korea. It should stop threatening North Korea and try to reconcile its relationship with its counterpart by demonstrating its willingness to have a fair and equal relationship with it.
The government officials in Pyongyang are weary of expanding China's influence but recognize that they lack the ability to prevent it. They believe that the North Korea-China trade will take up to 80% of the overseas trade, and that China's influence in non-governmental and civilian interchanges will expand .”
In the new year, the trade companies in rural areas are allowed to expand into China. Of course, they have to successfully pass the security clearance. It is likely to become fashionable for big companies having their headquarters in Pyongyang to open local branches in rural areas and dispatch resident employees to China. Last year, the North Hamgyong Provincial Party acted to enhance their local finances by opening restaurants in Liaoningsheng, China, for the first time. This year this type of development is expected to appear in other regions as well.
One official said, "The Chinese government is vigorously promoting an early visit to China by our new leader. They even propose that if the visit is going to take too long, the Chinese delegation will visit Pyongyang in order to enhance amity with North Korea. Their intention must be to increase our nation's dependence on China before the new party leadership settles down. What does it mean that the Chinese government now offers to give 500,000 t of food and 200,000 t of oil while they hesitated when our leader (Kim, Jong-Il) visited China for the same help in person many times? It is their intention to prevent the emergence of any political forces whose base is either the United States or South Korea before the new leadership is firmly established. The reason our new leadership tries to limit trade with Yuan is due to concerns about this Chinese scheme."
However, the leadership's dilemma is that the power of China is practically and absolutely necessary. The officials have no doubt that they will enhance negotiations and cooperation with China. In practice they allow local business to enter China, encourage joint ventures and cooperation with China, and plan to greatly increase the number of resident trade officers in China. It is also planned to encourage Chinese companies' investment in North Korea, to enlarge the ranges of Chinese tourism, and to expand social, cultural, and arts interchanges such as sports, medical service, education, and arts in addition to economic realm.
___________________________________________________________________________
The Ban of Yuan in Markets
Banning Chinese Yuan to Cut off Domestic Connections to Defectors Overseas
Chilling Effects of Inspection in Border Areas
Defectors said: “Please put me in Chinese jail”
Will the new government succeed or fail? Year 2012 holds the answer
___________________________________________________________________________
The Ban of Yuan in Markets
The Central Party has ordered a policy banning the use of Chinese currency, Renminbi (yuan), which is being circulated in markets in North Korea. Instruction is repeatedly given in workplaces, public enterprises, schools and neighborhood units, "to go to banks and exchange yuan and other foreign currencies for domestic currency." If caught using yuan in markets or circulating it, the money will be confiscated and the person will be severely punished. In particular, it is warned that if caught using yuan in markets, goods and money will be confiscated on sight and the person will never again be able to do business in the market. Such order was made despite the fact that the mourning period for Kim Jong-il’s death is not yet over. A Central Party Official said, "We are just carrying out the policy that had been adopted last October"; he sees the measure as a part of the new leadership's policy.
The measure banning the use of yuan conveys the will of Kim Jong-un, the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party. It is an attempt to slow down the trend of increasing economic dependence toward China. The portion of yuan used in North Korea's official and unofficial markets has been on the rise. During the Arduous March, yuan began to replace domestic currency in markets. The failure of currency revaluation on November 31, 2009, paradoxically solidified the status of yuan in North Korea. While yuan is not as important as the dollar or euro, the North Korean government is vigilant about its circulation, because it is widely used even by ordinary residents. Especially since the currency revaluation measure, merchants do not sell goods unless paid with yuan or dollar, aggravating the hardship of ordinary citizens. There is an opinion that "families with no relatives or defectors have no chance to have an access to foreign currencies. Increased filing of complaints that people with no yuan have difficulties buying goods could be another reason for taking the measure restricting the use of yuan."
Banning Chinese Yuan to Cut off Domestic Connections to Defectors Overseas
The effect of banning Chinese yuan on the domestic industrial development in North Korea remains to be seen. Some view that this decision was not made solely with economic considerations. A government official said that defectors seem to be behind the domestic circulation of the yuan, and that the ban aims to cut the defectors off from their domestic connections, attributing the inflow of yuan to families of defectors. “Due to tough living conditions, there are many people who have illusions about China and other foreign countries including South Korea, the United States, and Japan. Those who have an unhealthy ideology smuggle goods and commit crimes to obtain the yuan, and even leave for China and South Korea. These people who make it to South Korea after going to China use Korean-Chinese and North Koreans of Chinese origin as liaisons to send Chinese yuan into North Korea, while stealing domestic information and secret intelligence. They also spread words that are harmful to our country, and fabricate false stories. With an increase in these treasonous acts, a fundamental solution has been required.”
It means that the purpose of the ban on foreign currency is to promote industrial development and, and also cut defectors off from their domestic connections. This can be viewed as the continuation of the ban on foreign exchange transactions, which was an extension of the 2009 currency reform. On December 28, 2009, the North Korean government issued a decree on banning foreign exchange transactions without governmental approvals. People’s Safety Agency even threatened that after January 1 in the following year, using foreign currency in criminal activities such as selling things in truck, smuggling, or illegal border crossing can result in maximum penalty. However, the policy was not put in effect in reality, as social turmoil intensified with the soaring price of food and goods and death by starvation. Even some government officials do not have confidence about resuming the failed policy, and many say that they will have to take some time to see how well and thoroughly the new leadership is prepared.
Chilling Effects of Inspection in Border Areas
During the time of mourning of Kim Jong Il's death , there was tighter security on the borders than usual. It was so intense that some say it was blood-chilling. At Hwaryung in North Hamkyung Province, there have already been ten people captured and sent to jail. It used be the case that if border crossers, when caught, said that they were going to see the relatives in China to ask for help because of the desperate living conditions, they could expect some leniency. However, in this case, it was different: they were all sent straight to jail. A security officer strongly warned that from now on any border-crosser, regardless of the reason or his position, would not be able to politically survive in the country."
Those with cell phones are extremely cautious these days. Those spotted by satellite surveillance are also being punished severely. There have also been inhumane and degrading punishments. In Haesan-Shi, Ryang-gang Province, a resident who was caught using cell phone was made to walk three days with chains around his neck and feet. He was sentenced to life in prison, and his family was banished into the mountains. There is a wide spread rumor that the life sentence was just for show and that he might have already died because of the beatings he received while he walked around with chains on his feet and neck.
Security officers are raising their voices saying, that anyone using a cell phone should not expect to live another day. At present, if you get caught using a cell phone, it does not matter if you are a political elite; they will fully investigate the situation, and punish you severely. They are trying to stop national information leaking to outside. Even those inside the Security Office are not allowed to use a cell phone unless it is an emergency. The Security Office is issuing daily directives ordering to keep a close eye on civilians and government officials, and to deal with any minor incidents severely so that there should be no disturbances or agitation. As the people have become frightened, the number of people trying to get rid of their cell phones has increased. One phone can be traded for around 500 yuan, and phone cards valued at 100 are traded for around 200 yuan.
Defectors said: “Please put me in Chinese jail”
Only a handful of days have passed since the year 2012 began. Yet the border patrols around the Domun area in China have already caught about 10 defectors and sent them back to North Korea. The interrogation report shows that all of the defectors crossed the border due to hunger.
When the interrogator asked why they dared to cross the border while knowing that their lives were at stake, they responded with the same answer: "I had nothing to lose. I would have died anyway if I had stayed home. I was convinced and told myself: if I am doomed to death either way, I would rather choose to die trying to get out of the misery in North Korea. I was overjoyed when I survived crossing the border and got into China. But I got caught here in China."
They all begged the Chinese officials not to send them back to North Korea.
Some of them asked to be put in Chinese prisons. "I can do the chores or any work in the jail. If you cannot keep me here, then kill me. I would rather die here than go back to North Korea," said some desperate defectors. The Chinese officials who are weary of international pressure on human rights issues have ordered border patrols to send the border crossers back home on the spot when they get caught along the river instead of taking them into interrogation in China.
"It is not that simple to keep them in Chinese prisons. Our current policy on North Korean defectors is to send them back to their country immediately when they get caught along the border. Due to the severe food shortage in North Korea, the number of border crossers remains high. Even though the border surveillance on the other side has been tightened, the inflow of North Korean defectors to China does not seem to slow down. I can clearly see how desperate they are," one of the border patrol officers said.
Will the new government succeed or fail? Year 2012 holds the answer
The central government officials affirm that now the nation is more stable and sanguine than ever. They assess that the newly-formed Organization and Guidance Department is in control of all the areas in the country and it is fully prepared for any unexpected incidents. They also reckon that whether the new government succeeds or fails will depend on how it leads the country in 2012; will the new government continue the same strategy to which the Kim Jong-il regime adhered, closing the door to the outside world tightly and putting intense surveillance on people, or will it embrace foreign investment which will stimulate domestic economic growth? In short, the new government's success will depend on its foreign policy, and they foresee that China's influence on all domestic and foreign policies will increase. While his predecessor treated China as an equal partner, the new Kim will face a new dynamic in relationship with China; its influence will permeate North Korea's economy, politics, military, and other areas, resulting in imbalance of power.
"As far as the opportunity to expand its influence in the Korean Peninsula is concerned, the USA may have lost its chance," one of the government officials commented. "But there is still a chance and the chance should be now when the new government just has begun its era. The USA must change its attitude toward North Korea. It should stop threatening North Korea and try to reconcile its relationship with its counterpart by demonstrating its willingness to have a fair and equal relationship with it.
The government officials in Pyongyang are weary of expanding China's influence but recognize that they lack the ability to prevent it. They believe that the North Korea-China trade will take up to 80% of the overseas trade, and that China's influence in non-governmental and civilian interchanges will expand .”
In the new year, the trade companies in rural areas are allowed to expand into China. Of course, they have to successfully pass the security clearance. It is likely to become fashionable for big companies having their headquarters in Pyongyang to open local branches in rural areas and dispatch resident employees to China. Last year, the North Hamgyong Provincial Party acted to enhance their local finances by opening restaurants in Liaoningsheng, China, for the first time. This year this type of development is expected to appear in other regions as well.
One official said, "The Chinese government is vigorously promoting an early visit to China by our new leader. They even propose that if the visit is going to take too long, the Chinese delegation will visit Pyongyang in order to enhance amity with North Korea. Their intention must be to increase our nation's dependence on China before the new party leadership settles down. What does it mean that the Chinese government now offers to give 500,000 t of food and 200,000 t of oil while they hesitated when our leader (Kim, Jong-Il) visited China for the same help in person many times? It is their intention to prevent the emergence of any political forces whose base is either the United States or South Korea before the new leadership is firmly established. The reason our new leadership tries to limit trade with Yuan is due to concerns about this Chinese scheme."
However, the leadership's dilemma is that the power of China is practically and absolutely necessary. The officials have no doubt that they will enhance negotiations and cooperation with China. In practice they allow local business to enter China, encourage joint ventures and cooperation with China, and plan to greatly increase the number of resident trade officers in China. It is also planned to encourage Chinese companies' investment in North Korea, to enlarge the ranges of Chinese tourism, and to expand social, cultural, and arts interchanges such as sports, medical service, education, and arts in addition to economic realm.
North Korea Today No. 436 January 4, 2012
[“Good Friends” aims to help the North Korean people from a humanistic point of view and publishes “North Korea Today” describing the way the North Korean people live as accurately as possible. We at Good Friends also hope to be a bridge between the North Korean people and the world.]
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Year 2012, Let us be the Hope for North Korean Citizens! A Day in the Life of a Laborer, Ho-suk, who Takes Care of His Little Daughter and Old Mother
A Day in the Life of a Mine Worker, Jung-hak
Story of Hyun-sook, who Sells Firewood to SurviveA day in the Life of Firewood Seller, Jung-ok’s MotherSecond Grader Eunsil’s Typical Day
A Day in the Life of an Old Farmer, Mr. Kim
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Year 2012, we should be the hope for North Korean citizens!
There are people in North Korea who leave their homes in the darkness of early morning. They have to leave home very early so that they can bring water, firewood, and charcoal. If they are able to bring a bundle of firewood against the cold winter weather, they can afford to get corn porridge for their family. That is why they cannot even consider taking a break unless they are suffering from some fatal disease. Although the supreme leader who had the absolute power died and the New Year has come, their lives are still the same. They start their days with concerns about whether they will have anything to eat, and end their days with concerns for the next day’s food. They endure all this like a selfless mother who sacrifices herself to feed her children even if she stays hungry.
To commemorate this first issue of the New Year, we have featured the everyday lives of several North Korean citizens. We can have a look at the cross-section of North Korean people’s lives through observing how they survive the winter months in a situation where there is no work to do at the farm as well as in the factories because they are not in operation.
The new year of 2012 has dawned. Nobody can know how turbulent the international politics surrounding the Korean Peninsula and the relationship between the two Koreas will be. However, one thing is clear – we have the capability to bring hopes to the North Korean people. We can provide food for those who live a life of hand-to-mouth existence through humanitarian assistance, and we can provide farm machinery and fertilizer for them to revive agriculture. Furthermore, we can revitalize the economy through economic collaboration between the South and the North. Could there be a greater pleasure if we can be a hope for someone? Let’s make 2012 the year which brings hope and happiness for all people in South and North Korea. The peaceful unification is not far from us. Doesn’t your heart overflow with joy even at the thought of it?
A Day In the Life of a Laborer, Ho-suk, who Takes Care of His Little Daughter and Old Mother
Ho-suk woke up at 5:00 a.m. and first went to riverside, which is 300 meters away from his house, to get water. It was a freezing early morning and still dark. As he arrived there, after 20 minutes of groping his way in the dark, other people were already there to get water as well. Ho-suk filled the container with water scooped from the river by standing on the frozen riverbank, but his hands were already numbed with cold and hard to move freely. He came up to the embankment with two water-filled containers in mitten-covered hands, then stumbled and spilt almost half of the water. He walked in hurry to get home with shaking body- it took about an hour for him to return home.
His old mother and young daughter were still sleeping curled up. The only thing covering their two thin bodies was a ragged comforter. He put his comforter on top of it, but the heavy and crude comforter did not look warm, only desolate. He hastily started fire with dried leaves and twigs in the kitchen, and then prepared meal with two bowls of corn powder and shredded Napa cabbages in a caldron. There was no electricity, no water, only a harsh existence persists.
Ho-suk’s wife left the family one summer night in 2007 without saying anything. It has been 4 years of no contact from her. He guessed she went to China and there is no way to get in touch with her. The day breaks at around 7:00 a.m. and his old mother and daughter woke up. He went to work hurriedly after having a bowl of corn porridge for breakfast. His mother sells kindles in a market after washing dishes. His daughter should watch the house all day because she does not go to school. At 8:00 a.m., he signed his name on the company attendance report and came home. He climbed the mountain, which is in front of his house, with a tool to collect kindle that would be sold in a market. The livelihood of family of three relies on this.
To arrive on the mountain ridge on foot took almost 2 hours. Collecting kindle is not easy because too many people do it for their living as well. Moreover, they should try not to collect thicker trees because of the forest guards. It took a half day to fill a bag with small pieces of chopped wood. His body was shaking and he was so hungry. He carried the bundle of kindle on his back with a support of a short stick, got home by taking 5 breaks on the way back home. He arrived at home around 4:00 PM. His mother and daughter helped him to unload the bundle from his back. After having a scanty meal, a bowl of corn porridge that was a leftover from the morning, he fell asleep as soon as he lay down on the bed. His mother did not ask him questions, since her son was sleeping deeply, such as how much kindle he has sold, or if he has prepared food for tomorrow. The daughter and mother, who has finished washing dishes got into the bed together and fell asleep soon. In that cold room, without any touch of warmth, another day was passing by.
A Day in the Life of a Mine Worker, Jung-hak
Jung-hak, a mine worker, wakes up around 6 a.m. Because it’s so early, the sky is still grey and the cold biting. He slates his hunger with a bowl of corn rice that his wife cooked for him; he drowns the corn rice into a bowl of warm water mixed with Chinese-made flavor enhancer before gulping it all down. He calls over his neighbor, Young-sam, and leaves home together at 6:30 a.m. When he arrives at the entrance to the mine at 7 a.m., his friend Chul-ho is already there.
In return for being allowed to work here, they have to take their chances working in a closed mine. They enter the mine and arrive at the work space soon enough. They don’t need any lights to see their way since they know the path by heart. There is always the danger of cave in since all the wooden support has been ripped out for firewood. Nevertheless, they don’t have any safeguards to protect them from things dropping on their heads here and there.
Their job is to dig a side tunnel along the main walls to mine the layer of coal that’s about as deep as a hand is wide. They are lucky today. From the look of things, they should be able to salvage about 5 A-frame’s worth of coal if they can get everything out that they see. But after working by a dim candlelight to dig enough coal for one A-frame, it’s already lunch time. Lunch is two pieces of corn cake. Then it’s back to work again. It’s around 3 p.m. when they manage to drag to the entrance what they dug for the day. It’s about 300 kg, good enough for a day’s work.
Dead tired, the three friends divide up the load on their backs and head home. Usually, their wives and children would meet them to help them take the coal directly to the market, but they were told not to come today on account of the bitter cold. The coals are often too heavy for a woman to lift anyway. But when Jung-hak’s wife sees the coal that her husband brought in, she quickly loads up the hand cart and heads for the market. The cold weather would increase the demand for the coal. They usually go for around 6~7,000 NKW per one basket. For the bigger merchants, one ton of coal go for 90,000~100,000 NKW. One pocketful of firewood goes for 2,500~3,000 NKW, while one large cart’s worth sells around 35,000 to 36,000 NKW. It’s because of the coal that allows Jung-hak’s family to subsist on corn. As such, Jung-hak will be dragging his tired body to the mine again tomorrow morning.
Story of Hyun-sook, Who Sells Firewood to Survive
When Hyun-sook, a worker in a collective farm, wakes up at 6 a.m., she hurriedly starts making gruel of corn and two pieces of dried cabbage leaves. She used to use a Chinese-made flavor enhancer to spruce up the flavor, but it ran out. Since then, she uses common salt instead. She quickly gulps down one bowl of the gruel before washing up and leaving home to breaking dawn. She unlocks the pad lock to the storage shed and takes out the hand cart. She moves the piles of fire wood that her husband brought back yesterday onto the cart and ties them down with rope. She needs to push the cart for about two hours to arrive at the town, trying to ignore the spasms in her belly. She’s hungry and cold by the time she arrives at the square in front of the railroad station. She’s able to sell the fire wood by the middle of the day. With the money, she buys a few kilograms of corn. Hungry and cold, since she went without lunch, Hyun-sook visits a relative’s house. They don’t have any food either, but, at least, they have a warm spot on the floor where she can warm herself. After warming herself, she heads back home with the cart. When she arrives, it’s already dark. She goes immediately to the kitchen thinking of the family who’s waiting for her to come back home with the corn. She somehow manages to make corn gruel in the dark kitchen and feeds her family. Afterwards, she lays herself down in the dark room without electricity, but cannot get to sleep for worry about tomorrow. When she got married seven years ago, they had hopes for a brighter future, promising each other that they would work hard. But they are still worrying about where the next meal’s going to come from. She had gotten pregnant several times, but had abortions without telling her husband. Her head’s filled with the thought when she would finally be able to not worry about food, so much so that she can’t even bear to be next her husband who’s seemingly sleeping so soundly.
A day in the Life of Firewood Seller, Jung-ok’s Mother
Jung-ok’s mom, a twenty eight year old lady has lived alone since her husband and a daughter (Jung-ok) died three years ago. She makes a living by selling firewood. In order to buy firewood from rural woodcutters, she usually goes to a station square at five in the morning. If she sells firewood in a local market, she makes only a small profit, from 1,000 to 2,000 NKW at most.
It is a lucky day today for her because she met a good seller and got eight bundles of firewood without a sticky price negotiation. If she sells out of this firewood, she could earn a 1,500 NKW at least. She displays the firewood well on the pushcart and sits at a good location near the market entrance. When she looks around to search for customers, she notices that no one walks with a calm and composed posture. More than half the people walk like they are running. From their crouching posture and busy walk, she could feel the weight of their hard lives.
At last after one hour of waiting, a man approaches to buy firewood. His worn-out pants and shoes show at a glance that he is a person skipping his meals frequently. His black sooty face seems like he has not washed in over a month. His eyes are without focus as well. As Jung-ok’s mom sells firewood to him, she thinks that he needs to eat corn porridge first rather than buying firewood.
She also wants to have some corn porridge. It is natural to feel hungry because she skipped breakfast. A cold wind searched her ragged collar. Her husband’s old winter jacket, army-colored summer pants and sweater and thin underwear are the only clothes protecting her from the cold wind. Around her neck and face, she wrapped a Russian-thread woven muffler, a wedding gift from her mother, in hopes that it can help her keep warmer. However, she still trembles like a leaf before a strong, icy wind.
Around 11 o'clock, she bought a corn-flour cake and a frozen radish to satisfy her hunger. She had her hopes up in the morning, but the business was not going as well as expected. She sold only seven bags. After paying the cost, she netted 1,200 NKW. However, one bag of firewood remained and she would not have to worry about firewood for the next several days.
It was almost 5 p.m. when she got back home. She put a bunch of corn noodles in the water for soaking and chopped up the left-over radish from lunch. She added some condiments to the water and when the water boiled, she put the noodles in and that would be her dinner. The water did not boil for some time because the firewood was a little bit wet.
If her husband were home, he would have started the fire while he was waiting for her, and the thought made her sad. Her husband was working as a Combat Worker to earn foreign exchange but was injured seriously on the job, then died without much medical treatment.
Not even two weeks after her husband's passing, her two-year old daughter had high fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. She brought her to a hospital but her daughter died without receiving a drop of medication. It made her sad that she had sent her husband and daughter to the other world, and yet she was eking out a living by buying firewood then reselling it day after day. She still preferred when people called her "Jung-ok’s mom" rather than her own name, Lee Geum-soon because she can pretend her husband and daughter were still around.
The water was not hot enough but she cooked the noodles anyway and ate a bowl of not-fully-cooked noodles. It was completely dark now. She was drained and her joints ached. She threw her body down on the floor without taking her cloths off or without washing her face. Even when she was falling asleep, her last thought was to hope that business would be better tomorrow.
Second Grader Eunsil’s Typical Day
Eunsil is a second grade student. At six in the morning, she gets up before her mother wakes her up. She eats steamed corn meal her mother prepared, washes her face, packs, and goes to school. When she arrives at school at 7 a.m., first thing she does is clean with a broom and a cloth. In cold weather like today, they don’t go out to clean the playground but roughly sweep the hallways. Due to a water outage, the desks, chairs, and windows are wiped with a dry cloth.
The class starts at 7:30 am. 14 students are absent today. 12 of them caught a cold and one has a broken leg. And the other one’s mother passed away from an illness yesterday. With half of the class absent, the unheated classroom feels emptier and colder in the harsh winter day. The teacher seems to give oral instruction mostly and use the blackboard rarely in order to keep the hands warm in the pockets. You can hear the sound the children make blowing into their hands to warm themselves.
Lunch time is at noon. There are a few kids who brought lunch. Some chew grilled corn kernels from their pocket. Others eat pieces of a corn bread they brought. More than half of the students are either just staying calm in their seats or stooping over their cold desks quietly. Only some students whose father is a security agent, a police officer, or a party official gather and have a proper meal in one side of the classroom.
They do not have class in the afternoon. All students in school go out to clean the village. They are not even wearing many layers of clothes in the temperature of -18°C (-0.4°F), which makes it difficult to actually do anything other than jump up and down and blow on their hands to keep them warm. Too hungry and cold, the kids do not even chat among themselves. The “cleaning” does not conclude until 4 p.m., when the students return to school where the classrooms are dark now due to power outage. The students end up being dismissed from school.
Around 5 p.m., Eunsil arrives at her dark house. She cleans the house alone and warms the corn noodles that her mother made, who is still working at a market. It is completely dark outside. She waits for her mother shivering with cold. By the time she finishes her dinner and washes dishes with her mother, it is almost 8 p.m. There is neither power for light nor oil for lamplight, and Eunsil does not feel like doing homework or anything. She tries to sleep warming herself in her mother’s arms. While her tired mother falls into a deep sleep right away, Eunsil can’t sleep because she still feels hungry. Finally, Eunsil slowly falls asleep while wondering what she can eat the next morning.
A Day in the Life of an Old Farmer, Mr. Kim
Mr. Kim rises at 6 a.m. It has already been several days since he last enjoyed electricity. He has to feel his way in the dark to his kitchen and light a candle. He lives deep in the countryside, and finding wood to burn is not difficult if he is diligent. He makes breakfast, placing two bowls of corn-rice that he had boiled in advance the night before on the table. His side dish is a mountain rabbit that he caught in the hills the day before. There is no oil or soy sauce or spices of any kind. He simply boils it in water, cuts it into pieces and dips it into salt before eating it. He boils the rabbit, and dips his rice into the remaining soup. To him, it feels like a special holiday because it has been such a long time since he has tasted meat. Both his son and his son’s wife have gone off to earn money, but he has received no news about where they are. His grandson, who is turning nine this year, awakens at the appetizing smell of rabbit meat soup cooking. He hurries over without even washing, finds a spoon and waits eagerly for his share of the soup. Mr. Kim spoons corn-rice in a bowl, takes out the boiled rabbit and cuts it up before putting it on the table. At this, his grandson uses his bare hands to place it in his mouth. Having been unable to eat meet for the past month, he wolfs down one rabbit in a flash. Mr. Kim is left with a rabbit head without much meat on it and a single rib. Mr. Kim lets out a laugh, however, and dips his rice into the rabbit soup before eating it. He thinks about his wife who died last fall. His wife had headed to the mountains one day in search for acorns for food, but was killed when she fell down the mountain after being attacked by a wild boar. She had loved eating mountain rabbit, and when she was alive it had always been so difficult to catch even one. However, now, Mr. Kim tearfully thinks, he has caught a rabbit, but his wife is not here to share it with him.
After finishing breakfast, Mr. Kim heads to work at the farm. A number of farmers appear at the sound of the farm manager’s whistle. A lot of people have not come work complaining of headaches or stomachaches. The farmers first stop by the guard house to check-in, and have followed the manager’s instructions and picked up farm equipments, but because of the cold weather, they all stand around complaining to each other with their hands cupped together. No work can be done in these conditions. Just under half an hour later, the farmers return to the guard house and are able to warm their hands, feet and ears near the kitchen stove. Some of them roll small bits of newspaper together to form cigarettes and smoke while making conversation with those around them. By 12:00 noon, they all return to their homes. Just over an hour later, Mr. Kim has made a quick lunch and cleaned his house. He lays his grandson near the stove where some heat remains and then covers him completely with an old blanket. Mr. Kim then puts on two sewn-together socks and army boots and heads quickly into the mountains. He has to check whether he has caught anything in his rabbit traps that he laid some time ago. He has to check his traps regularly because if anything has been caught it is a race against time to fetch it before another animal or hunter gets to it first. He goes around checking his traps for almost three hours, but none of them has caught anything. On his way home he picks up a couple pieces of dry firewood and wraps them in string before placing them on his back to take home. When he passes the vegetable garden of the farm, he picks up five stalks of corn in the snow-covered corn field and places them on the firewood. With that, he has found enough to eat for tomorrow. By the time he reaches home at 5 p.m., it is pitch dark.
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Year 2012, Let us be the Hope for North Korean Citizens! A Day in the Life of a Laborer, Ho-suk, who Takes Care of His Little Daughter and Old Mother
A Day in the Life of a Mine Worker, Jung-hak
Story of Hyun-sook, who Sells Firewood to SurviveA day in the Life of Firewood Seller, Jung-ok’s MotherSecond Grader Eunsil’s Typical Day
A Day in the Life of an Old Farmer, Mr. Kim
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Year 2012, we should be the hope for North Korean citizens!
There are people in North Korea who leave their homes in the darkness of early morning. They have to leave home very early so that they can bring water, firewood, and charcoal. If they are able to bring a bundle of firewood against the cold winter weather, they can afford to get corn porridge for their family. That is why they cannot even consider taking a break unless they are suffering from some fatal disease. Although the supreme leader who had the absolute power died and the New Year has come, their lives are still the same. They start their days with concerns about whether they will have anything to eat, and end their days with concerns for the next day’s food. They endure all this like a selfless mother who sacrifices herself to feed her children even if she stays hungry.
To commemorate this first issue of the New Year, we have featured the everyday lives of several North Korean citizens. We can have a look at the cross-section of North Korean people’s lives through observing how they survive the winter months in a situation where there is no work to do at the farm as well as in the factories because they are not in operation.
The new year of 2012 has dawned. Nobody can know how turbulent the international politics surrounding the Korean Peninsula and the relationship between the two Koreas will be. However, one thing is clear – we have the capability to bring hopes to the North Korean people. We can provide food for those who live a life of hand-to-mouth existence through humanitarian assistance, and we can provide farm machinery and fertilizer for them to revive agriculture. Furthermore, we can revitalize the economy through economic collaboration between the South and the North. Could there be a greater pleasure if we can be a hope for someone? Let’s make 2012 the year which brings hope and happiness for all people in South and North Korea. The peaceful unification is not far from us. Doesn’t your heart overflow with joy even at the thought of it?
A Day In the Life of a Laborer, Ho-suk, who Takes Care of His Little Daughter and Old Mother
Ho-suk woke up at 5:00 a.m. and first went to riverside, which is 300 meters away from his house, to get water. It was a freezing early morning and still dark. As he arrived there, after 20 minutes of groping his way in the dark, other people were already there to get water as well. Ho-suk filled the container with water scooped from the river by standing on the frozen riverbank, but his hands were already numbed with cold and hard to move freely. He came up to the embankment with two water-filled containers in mitten-covered hands, then stumbled and spilt almost half of the water. He walked in hurry to get home with shaking body- it took about an hour for him to return home.
His old mother and young daughter were still sleeping curled up. The only thing covering their two thin bodies was a ragged comforter. He put his comforter on top of it, but the heavy and crude comforter did not look warm, only desolate. He hastily started fire with dried leaves and twigs in the kitchen, and then prepared meal with two bowls of corn powder and shredded Napa cabbages in a caldron. There was no electricity, no water, only a harsh existence persists.
Ho-suk’s wife left the family one summer night in 2007 without saying anything. It has been 4 years of no contact from her. He guessed she went to China and there is no way to get in touch with her. The day breaks at around 7:00 a.m. and his old mother and daughter woke up. He went to work hurriedly after having a bowl of corn porridge for breakfast. His mother sells kindles in a market after washing dishes. His daughter should watch the house all day because she does not go to school. At 8:00 a.m., he signed his name on the company attendance report and came home. He climbed the mountain, which is in front of his house, with a tool to collect kindle that would be sold in a market. The livelihood of family of three relies on this.
To arrive on the mountain ridge on foot took almost 2 hours. Collecting kindle is not easy because too many people do it for their living as well. Moreover, they should try not to collect thicker trees because of the forest guards. It took a half day to fill a bag with small pieces of chopped wood. His body was shaking and he was so hungry. He carried the bundle of kindle on his back with a support of a short stick, got home by taking 5 breaks on the way back home. He arrived at home around 4:00 PM. His mother and daughter helped him to unload the bundle from his back. After having a scanty meal, a bowl of corn porridge that was a leftover from the morning, he fell asleep as soon as he lay down on the bed. His mother did not ask him questions, since her son was sleeping deeply, such as how much kindle he has sold, or if he has prepared food for tomorrow. The daughter and mother, who has finished washing dishes got into the bed together and fell asleep soon. In that cold room, without any touch of warmth, another day was passing by.
A Day in the Life of a Mine Worker, Jung-hak
Jung-hak, a mine worker, wakes up around 6 a.m. Because it’s so early, the sky is still grey and the cold biting. He slates his hunger with a bowl of corn rice that his wife cooked for him; he drowns the corn rice into a bowl of warm water mixed with Chinese-made flavor enhancer before gulping it all down. He calls over his neighbor, Young-sam, and leaves home together at 6:30 a.m. When he arrives at the entrance to the mine at 7 a.m., his friend Chul-ho is already there.
In return for being allowed to work here, they have to take their chances working in a closed mine. They enter the mine and arrive at the work space soon enough. They don’t need any lights to see their way since they know the path by heart. There is always the danger of cave in since all the wooden support has been ripped out for firewood. Nevertheless, they don’t have any safeguards to protect them from things dropping on their heads here and there.
Their job is to dig a side tunnel along the main walls to mine the layer of coal that’s about as deep as a hand is wide. They are lucky today. From the look of things, they should be able to salvage about 5 A-frame’s worth of coal if they can get everything out that they see. But after working by a dim candlelight to dig enough coal for one A-frame, it’s already lunch time. Lunch is two pieces of corn cake. Then it’s back to work again. It’s around 3 p.m. when they manage to drag to the entrance what they dug for the day. It’s about 300 kg, good enough for a day’s work.
Dead tired, the three friends divide up the load on their backs and head home. Usually, their wives and children would meet them to help them take the coal directly to the market, but they were told not to come today on account of the bitter cold. The coals are often too heavy for a woman to lift anyway. But when Jung-hak’s wife sees the coal that her husband brought in, she quickly loads up the hand cart and heads for the market. The cold weather would increase the demand for the coal. They usually go for around 6~7,000 NKW per one basket. For the bigger merchants, one ton of coal go for 90,000~100,000 NKW. One pocketful of firewood goes for 2,500~3,000 NKW, while one large cart’s worth sells around 35,000 to 36,000 NKW. It’s because of the coal that allows Jung-hak’s family to subsist on corn. As such, Jung-hak will be dragging his tired body to the mine again tomorrow morning.
Story of Hyun-sook, Who Sells Firewood to Survive
When Hyun-sook, a worker in a collective farm, wakes up at 6 a.m., she hurriedly starts making gruel of corn and two pieces of dried cabbage leaves. She used to use a Chinese-made flavor enhancer to spruce up the flavor, but it ran out. Since then, she uses common salt instead. She quickly gulps down one bowl of the gruel before washing up and leaving home to breaking dawn. She unlocks the pad lock to the storage shed and takes out the hand cart. She moves the piles of fire wood that her husband brought back yesterday onto the cart and ties them down with rope. She needs to push the cart for about two hours to arrive at the town, trying to ignore the spasms in her belly. She’s hungry and cold by the time she arrives at the square in front of the railroad station. She’s able to sell the fire wood by the middle of the day. With the money, she buys a few kilograms of corn. Hungry and cold, since she went without lunch, Hyun-sook visits a relative’s house. They don’t have any food either, but, at least, they have a warm spot on the floor where she can warm herself. After warming herself, she heads back home with the cart. When she arrives, it’s already dark. She goes immediately to the kitchen thinking of the family who’s waiting for her to come back home with the corn. She somehow manages to make corn gruel in the dark kitchen and feeds her family. Afterwards, she lays herself down in the dark room without electricity, but cannot get to sleep for worry about tomorrow. When she got married seven years ago, they had hopes for a brighter future, promising each other that they would work hard. But they are still worrying about where the next meal’s going to come from. She had gotten pregnant several times, but had abortions without telling her husband. Her head’s filled with the thought when she would finally be able to not worry about food, so much so that she can’t even bear to be next her husband who’s seemingly sleeping so soundly.
A day in the Life of Firewood Seller, Jung-ok’s Mother
Jung-ok’s mom, a twenty eight year old lady has lived alone since her husband and a daughter (Jung-ok) died three years ago. She makes a living by selling firewood. In order to buy firewood from rural woodcutters, she usually goes to a station square at five in the morning. If she sells firewood in a local market, she makes only a small profit, from 1,000 to 2,000 NKW at most.
It is a lucky day today for her because she met a good seller and got eight bundles of firewood without a sticky price negotiation. If she sells out of this firewood, she could earn a 1,500 NKW at least. She displays the firewood well on the pushcart and sits at a good location near the market entrance. When she looks around to search for customers, she notices that no one walks with a calm and composed posture. More than half the people walk like they are running. From their crouching posture and busy walk, she could feel the weight of their hard lives.
At last after one hour of waiting, a man approaches to buy firewood. His worn-out pants and shoes show at a glance that he is a person skipping his meals frequently. His black sooty face seems like he has not washed in over a month. His eyes are without focus as well. As Jung-ok’s mom sells firewood to him, she thinks that he needs to eat corn porridge first rather than buying firewood.
She also wants to have some corn porridge. It is natural to feel hungry because she skipped breakfast. A cold wind searched her ragged collar. Her husband’s old winter jacket, army-colored summer pants and sweater and thin underwear are the only clothes protecting her from the cold wind. Around her neck and face, she wrapped a Russian-thread woven muffler, a wedding gift from her mother, in hopes that it can help her keep warmer. However, she still trembles like a leaf before a strong, icy wind.
Around 11 o'clock, she bought a corn-flour cake and a frozen radish to satisfy her hunger. She had her hopes up in the morning, but the business was not going as well as expected. She sold only seven bags. After paying the cost, she netted 1,200 NKW. However, one bag of firewood remained and she would not have to worry about firewood for the next several days.
It was almost 5 p.m. when she got back home. She put a bunch of corn noodles in the water for soaking and chopped up the left-over radish from lunch. She added some condiments to the water and when the water boiled, she put the noodles in and that would be her dinner. The water did not boil for some time because the firewood was a little bit wet.
If her husband were home, he would have started the fire while he was waiting for her, and the thought made her sad. Her husband was working as a Combat Worker to earn foreign exchange but was injured seriously on the job, then died without much medical treatment.
Not even two weeks after her husband's passing, her two-year old daughter had high fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. She brought her to a hospital but her daughter died without receiving a drop of medication. It made her sad that she had sent her husband and daughter to the other world, and yet she was eking out a living by buying firewood then reselling it day after day. She still preferred when people called her "Jung-ok’s mom" rather than her own name, Lee Geum-soon because she can pretend her husband and daughter were still around.
The water was not hot enough but she cooked the noodles anyway and ate a bowl of not-fully-cooked noodles. It was completely dark now. She was drained and her joints ached. She threw her body down on the floor without taking her cloths off or without washing her face. Even when she was falling asleep, her last thought was to hope that business would be better tomorrow.
Second Grader Eunsil’s Typical Day
Eunsil is a second grade student. At six in the morning, she gets up before her mother wakes her up. She eats steamed corn meal her mother prepared, washes her face, packs, and goes to school. When she arrives at school at 7 a.m., first thing she does is clean with a broom and a cloth. In cold weather like today, they don’t go out to clean the playground but roughly sweep the hallways. Due to a water outage, the desks, chairs, and windows are wiped with a dry cloth.
The class starts at 7:30 am. 14 students are absent today. 12 of them caught a cold and one has a broken leg. And the other one’s mother passed away from an illness yesterday. With half of the class absent, the unheated classroom feels emptier and colder in the harsh winter day. The teacher seems to give oral instruction mostly and use the blackboard rarely in order to keep the hands warm in the pockets. You can hear the sound the children make blowing into their hands to warm themselves.
Lunch time is at noon. There are a few kids who brought lunch. Some chew grilled corn kernels from their pocket. Others eat pieces of a corn bread they brought. More than half of the students are either just staying calm in their seats or stooping over their cold desks quietly. Only some students whose father is a security agent, a police officer, or a party official gather and have a proper meal in one side of the classroom.
They do not have class in the afternoon. All students in school go out to clean the village. They are not even wearing many layers of clothes in the temperature of -18°C (-0.4°F), which makes it difficult to actually do anything other than jump up and down and blow on their hands to keep them warm. Too hungry and cold, the kids do not even chat among themselves. The “cleaning” does not conclude until 4 p.m., when the students return to school where the classrooms are dark now due to power outage. The students end up being dismissed from school.
Around 5 p.m., Eunsil arrives at her dark house. She cleans the house alone and warms the corn noodles that her mother made, who is still working at a market. It is completely dark outside. She waits for her mother shivering with cold. By the time she finishes her dinner and washes dishes with her mother, it is almost 8 p.m. There is neither power for light nor oil for lamplight, and Eunsil does not feel like doing homework or anything. She tries to sleep warming herself in her mother’s arms. While her tired mother falls into a deep sleep right away, Eunsil can’t sleep because she still feels hungry. Finally, Eunsil slowly falls asleep while wondering what she can eat the next morning.
A Day in the Life of an Old Farmer, Mr. Kim
Mr. Kim rises at 6 a.m. It has already been several days since he last enjoyed electricity. He has to feel his way in the dark to his kitchen and light a candle. He lives deep in the countryside, and finding wood to burn is not difficult if he is diligent. He makes breakfast, placing two bowls of corn-rice that he had boiled in advance the night before on the table. His side dish is a mountain rabbit that he caught in the hills the day before. There is no oil or soy sauce or spices of any kind. He simply boils it in water, cuts it into pieces and dips it into salt before eating it. He boils the rabbit, and dips his rice into the remaining soup. To him, it feels like a special holiday because it has been such a long time since he has tasted meat. Both his son and his son’s wife have gone off to earn money, but he has received no news about where they are. His grandson, who is turning nine this year, awakens at the appetizing smell of rabbit meat soup cooking. He hurries over without even washing, finds a spoon and waits eagerly for his share of the soup. Mr. Kim spoons corn-rice in a bowl, takes out the boiled rabbit and cuts it up before putting it on the table. At this, his grandson uses his bare hands to place it in his mouth. Having been unable to eat meet for the past month, he wolfs down one rabbit in a flash. Mr. Kim is left with a rabbit head without much meat on it and a single rib. Mr. Kim lets out a laugh, however, and dips his rice into the rabbit soup before eating it. He thinks about his wife who died last fall. His wife had headed to the mountains one day in search for acorns for food, but was killed when she fell down the mountain after being attacked by a wild boar. She had loved eating mountain rabbit, and when she was alive it had always been so difficult to catch even one. However, now, Mr. Kim tearfully thinks, he has caught a rabbit, but his wife is not here to share it with him.
After finishing breakfast, Mr. Kim heads to work at the farm. A number of farmers appear at the sound of the farm manager’s whistle. A lot of people have not come work complaining of headaches or stomachaches. The farmers first stop by the guard house to check-in, and have followed the manager’s instructions and picked up farm equipments, but because of the cold weather, they all stand around complaining to each other with their hands cupped together. No work can be done in these conditions. Just under half an hour later, the farmers return to the guard house and are able to warm their hands, feet and ears near the kitchen stove. Some of them roll small bits of newspaper together to form cigarettes and smoke while making conversation with those around them. By 12:00 noon, they all return to their homes. Just over an hour later, Mr. Kim has made a quick lunch and cleaned his house. He lays his grandson near the stove where some heat remains and then covers him completely with an old blanket. Mr. Kim then puts on two sewn-together socks and army boots and heads quickly into the mountains. He has to check whether he has caught anything in his rabbit traps that he laid some time ago. He has to check his traps regularly because if anything has been caught it is a race against time to fetch it before another animal or hunter gets to it first. He goes around checking his traps for almost three hours, but none of them has caught anything. On his way home he picks up a couple pieces of dry firewood and wraps them in string before placing them on his back to take home. When he passes the vegetable garden of the farm, he picks up five stalks of corn in the snow-covered corn field and places them on the firewood. With that, he has found enough to eat for tomorrow. By the time he reaches home at 5 p.m., it is pitch dark.
North Korea Today No. 435 December 28, 2011
[“Good Friends” aims to help the North Korean people from a humanistic point of view and publishes “North Korea Today” describing the way the North Korean people live as accurately as possible. We at Good Friends also hope to be a bridge between the North Korean people and the world.]
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Rice, Water, and Fuel for North Koreans
This Winter, “Rice, Water, and Fuel” in Urgent Need
Hoeryong’s Rice Crop Decreases From Last Year’s
Rice Harvest in Hoeryong Dropped from Last Year
Hoeryong Needs Foreign Support
Deportation Order for Defectors’ Families in Border Areas
Shinyang County Factories Are All Left Idle
Central Party, “Factories Should Not Expect Help from Above
___________________________________________________________________________________
Rice, Water and Fuel for North Koreans
North Koreans are in urgent need of food, safe drinking water and fuel for heating. Their poor living conditions get worse in the winter. Clean water becomes scarce when the rivers freeze up, and the same goes for food and fuel. A common cold can develop into a serious illness due to lack of medicine. People freeze to death in homes with inadequate heating systems. These deaths went unheeded during the period of mourning for last Kim Jong Il. While the international community is preoccupied with the death of Kim Jong Il, those truly in need of attention are the nameless North Korean citizens who are struggling to survive. The newly appointed leaders are far too busy attending the national mourning, and their capabilities to take care of their citizens are questionable. South Korea, however, has the capacity to save the lives of North Koreans. The South Korean government should take an altruistic stance toward North Korean people and provide them with clean water, food, and adequate fuel. We hope the international community would offer a helping hand as well to the suffering North Koreans and actively engage in humanitarian aid programs in the near future.
This Winter, “Rice, Water, and Fuel” in Urgent Need
North Koreans are literally struggling to survive this harsh winter. There is no clean water supply because water pipes are frozen. Even rivers are frozen, making it impossible to get fresh water. Although people try to get water from the ice, they do not have any fuel to melt it. No electricity has been supplied for more than a month except the capital city of Pyongyang. Some households in Pyongyang use coal for heating, but people in other places have to look for firewood or dry grass left in the field. People without water and fuel rarely have food. If they do, it is corn, and they are fortunate to have some. People who did some small plot farming are relatively better off since they have a bit of food savings. However, people living day by day doing small businesses never know if they can eat today or not.
Mr. Lee Gil-Nam (Alias), a merchant dealing second-handed bicycles shuttling between Wonsan and Hamheung City, South Hamgyong Province, said “Since the Arduous March, North Korean people have learned to survive independently, and more importantly, have taken responsibility for themselves. However, not even one of the three items (rice, water and fuel) has been fully supplied over the past 15 years. What has the Party done for the people when we are trying so hard to survive? We are no longer expecting anything from the Party. I wish the Party would leave us alone to take care of ourselves.” He complained indirectly about the Party’s control over the people.
A Party official of Hamheung City also described that “In the area of the Seongcheon River, they found a frozen dead body of an old man. He died from cold, thirst and hunger while living alone in an empty apartment on the fifth floor. The head of the Neighborhood Unit found him by chance. I am very concerned not only that many people might die from cold this winder but also an epidemic might occur due to malnutrition and lack of proper hygienic care.” He expressed his frustration as well on the limited freedom to the local Party officials. As the local Party was told not to ask the Central Party for help, the local government tries to start working on their own. But then the Central Party launches investigations on local officials behind them. Local officials are too intimidated to do anything. They cannot even publicly report how many people have died from hunger and cold, because it will work against them at the performance evaluation of the local government, and the local party will be blamed for that. The City Party official sincerely appealed for humanitarian help saying in tears, “People in Hamheung City urgently need rice, water and fuel. I will be extremely grateful if anyone helps us now.”
Rice Harvest in Hoeryong Dropped from Last Year
This year’s crop for Hoeryong City in North Hamgyong Province is reported to be below five tons per 1 jungbo (2.45 acres) at best. Three to four tons per jungbo is common, and even the maximum amount failed to go over five tons. The amount of crop is estimated to have decreased by ten percent from last year’s. Other agricultural regions in North Hamgyong Province have begun end-of-year evaluations of their harvests as well. In plantations of Hoeryong, the maximum amount of pay that a worker has gotten is 450,000 won, with average workers receiving around 150,000 won. Before the currency revaluation, workers were paid sometimes as much as 700,000 to 800,000 won; despite the rising price level, workers are receiving even less than they used to. Workers who had excused absences from The Province Farm Management Committee only receive 60 percent of the minimum wage, which is usually less than 100,000 won.
The amount of ration the workers’ wives get is half of what their husbands get. Each worker’s ration is supposedly 700g of grain, 50-50 between rice and corn. Of course, the ratio is not exact. A daily ration for an eight-year old child is 300g, but it is impossible to get the full amount due to nontax payments. As of now, male farmers all across North Hamgyong Province are busy collecting manure and spreading them on the fields in preparation for the New Year, and female workers are weaving straw bags.
Hoeryung Needs Foreign Support
A farm worker in Hoeryung city expressed disappointment at this year’s crop, even after using more fertilizer than before. He said, “We normally use government-supplied fertilizer, and when we run short of it as well as pesticide, we buy them at the market. I am pretty sure that we used more fertilizer than in any other year. However, the crop still did not turn out well, and I am very discouraged. Farms own 15 to 20 cows, and one work unit has one agricultural tractor. Cows are raised by households and not by work units as before because they are better taken care of in that way. This method was quite effective, and we have not seen cows die of diseases or get weak in recent years. Cows are usually mobilized for farm work, and if they are not occupied, they are rented out to individuals at a fee. This year, we did not have bad conditions for farming, but the climate was too bad for the crop. The City Party figures show that the production has dropped by more than 1%. It would be great if we could get some support from foreign countries, but so far we have not seen any food aid from abroad reaching us working in collective farms. We got some medicine and basic necessities. The distribution method was that they put the items on display, and each household picks up whatever they need. For Mother Kim Jong-sook’s birthday, we have recently received 500g of sugar and 500g of soy bean oil. Other than that, we have not received anything. Hoeryung is one of the well-supplied cities as well as Pyongyang, but sea foods are only available to Pyongyang citizens. There is nothing for us. This is our situation, so things must be no better in other places.
Deportation Order for Defectors’ Families in Border Areas
The deportation of the defectors’ families in the national border area is in progress since November 25 of last year. Each household is investigated of its incomes and expenses, and those that have abnormally high expenses or who have a missing person within the family are the primary target of investigation. Households with a history of crossing the river over to China, being caught for using a mobile phone or being suspected of defection, as well as even those with a history of transacting South Korean commodities are also investigated. Among these, a few households suspected to be defector’s family have been selected as examples and deported to the remote countryside far away from the border area.
The new leadership reaffirms its strong will to completely eradicate the disloyal reactionary forces in the border area, but the affected residents are complaining that it is too much. Jung Eun-hyang (alias), who lives in Hyesan City of Ryanggang Province, says the following: “The families who do not have anything to eat cross the border towards Changbaek, China, in broad daylight. They are in desperate circumstances and they feel that they have no alternatives, even though they might get shot to death. Among those who are deported to the remote countryside, it seems that only a small number of them are the actual families of defectors. Anyone who is able to pay one million NK won can escape from the ordeal, even if they are in fact the families of defectors. Most of the defector’s families get away with it because their family member in the region below (South Korea) sends them money. If they happened to be the unlucky draw for a show case, they suffer a major blow, but otherwise, they can cover up themselves by offering bribe.”
An officer from the security authorities also says, “My understanding is when a defector’s family is caught, they slip money into the security officers’ pockets to ask for lowering the severity of the case. Then the officers lower the severity by treating it as a simple border-crossing or a peddling with Chinese traders. These days, cases have been suddenly increased in which the security officers are offering a deal by asking for a bribe beforehand. Even though a substantial number of security officers were replaced, the atmosphere is just like how the previous officers were doing the work.” In other words, there used to be some reform movement once among the security officers including the Border Patrols after the investigation by the “Storm Trooper Units”, but the deportation order surreptitiously created an atmosphere to overtly ask for bribes again. The problem is, that every resident in the border area, regardless of whether they are a defector’s family or not, is harassed by the excessive regulation from the authorities. The residents who are already having the most difficult days due to the severe cold and hunger suffer so much because of the regulation from the authorities. If the new leadership repeatedly asserts the control of the border area, it seems that the residents’ lives in this area will become even more exhausted.
Shinyang County Factories Are All Left Idle
It has been reported that none of the Shinyang County local industry factories are in operation. Two years ago the factories have been criticized by the Central Party for not having any outcomes during the consecutive 150-day combat and 100-day combat.
An official who inspected Shinyang County during that time said, "I visited the Shinyang Food Factory which plays a vital role in the food production for the people in the county. Although the building looked impressive, the equipments were not installed and even the partial production process on the corner of the factory was not in proper operation .When I asked the workers in the factory they all said in unison that it would take a long time until people can benefit from the factory even though the construction had started several years ago. The situation in the paper mill right next door was not much different. The condition of the building was so poor that it looked like a wrecked storage. Walking around inside was difficult because of various garbage littered around. I ran into the manager comrade at the factory and asked about the production power. He answered that they could not produce anything properly due to power shortage, and therefore they were unable to carry out their paper and notebook production plans. I remember his lamentable tone, while I was looking around the production facilities with him, telling me that the power required to produce paper is at least 200kw, but the actual power provided by the government is only a few watts, making it impossible to produce paper no matter how hard they try." He had a chance to visit the factory two years later. The situation was the same as before, and he was told that the power condition got even worse.
“It makes sense that they cannot produce anything due to power shortage. Use of inefficient facilities inevitably leads to higher consumption of power, which results in poor production. Even the small amount of power supply available before has now been cut off, so the workers had to give it all up." He said there was no chance to revive the factories. Moreover, the facilities and the buildings of the factories in Shinyang County were severely damaged by the flood during the summer of 2006. Now, even the facilities in good condition ended up being scrap metal due to lack of proper repair work. The Shinyang Chemical Factory also has stopped operation with its rusty facilities due to bad power supply and lack of material. An official from the Central Party said with regret, "None of the factories in Shinyang County is in normal operation. This is not a problem confined to Shinyang County, and it is very depressing."
Central Party, “Factories Should Not Expect Help from Above”
“In today’s circumstances factories cannot increase production or grow in size if they rely only on the assistance from above.” This is practically the only policy that the Central Party has given to regional factories. Simply put, the government is advocating self-revival. The example of Shinyang County factories being practically all but shut down is a nationwide phenomenon. Even in these conditions the Central Party has found a few model factories and has been advertising them on a large scale. The Central Party has recently lifted up the Pyongseong factory as a model example of self-revival. Recently the Channel 3 broadcast station has advertised, “Pyongseong paper factory had no better conditions than other factories. However, they have mobilized reserves and the employees have a high morale. In the past year they have renewed all their production processes. They set high standards and increased the production of paper and student workbooks. They have invented new products that are in high demand, thus diversifying their production. They have set bold goals that will significantly increase production rates compared to past seasons, and are faithfully devoted to their work.”
The Central Party claims that the officials’ outlook and attitudes are the reasons that Pyongseong paper factory is prospering although it has no better conditions than other factories, thus putting emphasis on ideology. One official of the Central Party says, “The Central Party blames the regional officials for the lack of production in the regional factories. They only criticize the district officials for not being able to manage the few factories in their own district. They say nothing about how they would help the regions. Just like parrots, they simply repeat words like ‘A powerful nation does not come automatically. It is created by our hard work and sweat. All our officials must come to their senses and not wait for someone’s help. They should reform and renovate on their own.’ How will the regional officials be encouraged by words like these? It is no wonder that the regional officials fall into self -seeking ways rather than help the people.” He judges that the Party’s policies have long since reached their limits.
___________________________________________________________________________
Rice, Water, and Fuel for North Koreans
This Winter, “Rice, Water, and Fuel” in Urgent Need
Hoeryong’s Rice Crop Decreases From Last Year’s
Rice Harvest in Hoeryong Dropped from Last Year
Hoeryong Needs Foreign Support
Deportation Order for Defectors’ Families in Border Areas
Shinyang County Factories Are All Left Idle
Central Party, “Factories Should Not Expect Help from Above
___________________________________________________________________________________
Rice, Water and Fuel for North Koreans
North Koreans are in urgent need of food, safe drinking water and fuel for heating. Their poor living conditions get worse in the winter. Clean water becomes scarce when the rivers freeze up, and the same goes for food and fuel. A common cold can develop into a serious illness due to lack of medicine. People freeze to death in homes with inadequate heating systems. These deaths went unheeded during the period of mourning for last Kim Jong Il. While the international community is preoccupied with the death of Kim Jong Il, those truly in need of attention are the nameless North Korean citizens who are struggling to survive. The newly appointed leaders are far too busy attending the national mourning, and their capabilities to take care of their citizens are questionable. South Korea, however, has the capacity to save the lives of North Koreans. The South Korean government should take an altruistic stance toward North Korean people and provide them with clean water, food, and adequate fuel. We hope the international community would offer a helping hand as well to the suffering North Koreans and actively engage in humanitarian aid programs in the near future.
This Winter, “Rice, Water, and Fuel” in Urgent Need
North Koreans are literally struggling to survive this harsh winter. There is no clean water supply because water pipes are frozen. Even rivers are frozen, making it impossible to get fresh water. Although people try to get water from the ice, they do not have any fuel to melt it. No electricity has been supplied for more than a month except the capital city of Pyongyang. Some households in Pyongyang use coal for heating, but people in other places have to look for firewood or dry grass left in the field. People without water and fuel rarely have food. If they do, it is corn, and they are fortunate to have some. People who did some small plot farming are relatively better off since they have a bit of food savings. However, people living day by day doing small businesses never know if they can eat today or not.
Mr. Lee Gil-Nam (Alias), a merchant dealing second-handed bicycles shuttling between Wonsan and Hamheung City, South Hamgyong Province, said “Since the Arduous March, North Korean people have learned to survive independently, and more importantly, have taken responsibility for themselves. However, not even one of the three items (rice, water and fuel) has been fully supplied over the past 15 years. What has the Party done for the people when we are trying so hard to survive? We are no longer expecting anything from the Party. I wish the Party would leave us alone to take care of ourselves.” He complained indirectly about the Party’s control over the people.
A Party official of Hamheung City also described that “In the area of the Seongcheon River, they found a frozen dead body of an old man. He died from cold, thirst and hunger while living alone in an empty apartment on the fifth floor. The head of the Neighborhood Unit found him by chance. I am very concerned not only that many people might die from cold this winder but also an epidemic might occur due to malnutrition and lack of proper hygienic care.” He expressed his frustration as well on the limited freedom to the local Party officials. As the local Party was told not to ask the Central Party for help, the local government tries to start working on their own. But then the Central Party launches investigations on local officials behind them. Local officials are too intimidated to do anything. They cannot even publicly report how many people have died from hunger and cold, because it will work against them at the performance evaluation of the local government, and the local party will be blamed for that. The City Party official sincerely appealed for humanitarian help saying in tears, “People in Hamheung City urgently need rice, water and fuel. I will be extremely grateful if anyone helps us now.”
Rice Harvest in Hoeryong Dropped from Last Year
This year’s crop for Hoeryong City in North Hamgyong Province is reported to be below five tons per 1 jungbo (2.45 acres) at best. Three to four tons per jungbo is common, and even the maximum amount failed to go over five tons. The amount of crop is estimated to have decreased by ten percent from last year’s. Other agricultural regions in North Hamgyong Province have begun end-of-year evaluations of their harvests as well. In plantations of Hoeryong, the maximum amount of pay that a worker has gotten is 450,000 won, with average workers receiving around 150,000 won. Before the currency revaluation, workers were paid sometimes as much as 700,000 to 800,000 won; despite the rising price level, workers are receiving even less than they used to. Workers who had excused absences from The Province Farm Management Committee only receive 60 percent of the minimum wage, which is usually less than 100,000 won.
The amount of ration the workers’ wives get is half of what their husbands get. Each worker’s ration is supposedly 700g of grain, 50-50 between rice and corn. Of course, the ratio is not exact. A daily ration for an eight-year old child is 300g, but it is impossible to get the full amount due to nontax payments. As of now, male farmers all across North Hamgyong Province are busy collecting manure and spreading them on the fields in preparation for the New Year, and female workers are weaving straw bags.
Hoeryung Needs Foreign Support
A farm worker in Hoeryung city expressed disappointment at this year’s crop, even after using more fertilizer than before. He said, “We normally use government-supplied fertilizer, and when we run short of it as well as pesticide, we buy them at the market. I am pretty sure that we used more fertilizer than in any other year. However, the crop still did not turn out well, and I am very discouraged. Farms own 15 to 20 cows, and one work unit has one agricultural tractor. Cows are raised by households and not by work units as before because they are better taken care of in that way. This method was quite effective, and we have not seen cows die of diseases or get weak in recent years. Cows are usually mobilized for farm work, and if they are not occupied, they are rented out to individuals at a fee. This year, we did not have bad conditions for farming, but the climate was too bad for the crop. The City Party figures show that the production has dropped by more than 1%. It would be great if we could get some support from foreign countries, but so far we have not seen any food aid from abroad reaching us working in collective farms. We got some medicine and basic necessities. The distribution method was that they put the items on display, and each household picks up whatever they need. For Mother Kim Jong-sook’s birthday, we have recently received 500g of sugar and 500g of soy bean oil. Other than that, we have not received anything. Hoeryung is one of the well-supplied cities as well as Pyongyang, but sea foods are only available to Pyongyang citizens. There is nothing for us. This is our situation, so things must be no better in other places.
Deportation Order for Defectors’ Families in Border Areas
The deportation of the defectors’ families in the national border area is in progress since November 25 of last year. Each household is investigated of its incomes and expenses, and those that have abnormally high expenses or who have a missing person within the family are the primary target of investigation. Households with a history of crossing the river over to China, being caught for using a mobile phone or being suspected of defection, as well as even those with a history of transacting South Korean commodities are also investigated. Among these, a few households suspected to be defector’s family have been selected as examples and deported to the remote countryside far away from the border area.
The new leadership reaffirms its strong will to completely eradicate the disloyal reactionary forces in the border area, but the affected residents are complaining that it is too much. Jung Eun-hyang (alias), who lives in Hyesan City of Ryanggang Province, says the following: “The families who do not have anything to eat cross the border towards Changbaek, China, in broad daylight. They are in desperate circumstances and they feel that they have no alternatives, even though they might get shot to death. Among those who are deported to the remote countryside, it seems that only a small number of them are the actual families of defectors. Anyone who is able to pay one million NK won can escape from the ordeal, even if they are in fact the families of defectors. Most of the defector’s families get away with it because their family member in the region below (South Korea) sends them money. If they happened to be the unlucky draw for a show case, they suffer a major blow, but otherwise, they can cover up themselves by offering bribe.”
An officer from the security authorities also says, “My understanding is when a defector’s family is caught, they slip money into the security officers’ pockets to ask for lowering the severity of the case. Then the officers lower the severity by treating it as a simple border-crossing or a peddling with Chinese traders. These days, cases have been suddenly increased in which the security officers are offering a deal by asking for a bribe beforehand. Even though a substantial number of security officers were replaced, the atmosphere is just like how the previous officers were doing the work.” In other words, there used to be some reform movement once among the security officers including the Border Patrols after the investigation by the “Storm Trooper Units”, but the deportation order surreptitiously created an atmosphere to overtly ask for bribes again. The problem is, that every resident in the border area, regardless of whether they are a defector’s family or not, is harassed by the excessive regulation from the authorities. The residents who are already having the most difficult days due to the severe cold and hunger suffer so much because of the regulation from the authorities. If the new leadership repeatedly asserts the control of the border area, it seems that the residents’ lives in this area will become even more exhausted.
Shinyang County Factories Are All Left Idle
It has been reported that none of the Shinyang County local industry factories are in operation. Two years ago the factories have been criticized by the Central Party for not having any outcomes during the consecutive 150-day combat and 100-day combat.
An official who inspected Shinyang County during that time said, "I visited the Shinyang Food Factory which plays a vital role in the food production for the people in the county. Although the building looked impressive, the equipments were not installed and even the partial production process on the corner of the factory was not in proper operation .When I asked the workers in the factory they all said in unison that it would take a long time until people can benefit from the factory even though the construction had started several years ago. The situation in the paper mill right next door was not much different. The condition of the building was so poor that it looked like a wrecked storage. Walking around inside was difficult because of various garbage littered around. I ran into the manager comrade at the factory and asked about the production power. He answered that they could not produce anything properly due to power shortage, and therefore they were unable to carry out their paper and notebook production plans. I remember his lamentable tone, while I was looking around the production facilities with him, telling me that the power required to produce paper is at least 200kw, but the actual power provided by the government is only a few watts, making it impossible to produce paper no matter how hard they try." He had a chance to visit the factory two years later. The situation was the same as before, and he was told that the power condition got even worse.
“It makes sense that they cannot produce anything due to power shortage. Use of inefficient facilities inevitably leads to higher consumption of power, which results in poor production. Even the small amount of power supply available before has now been cut off, so the workers had to give it all up." He said there was no chance to revive the factories. Moreover, the facilities and the buildings of the factories in Shinyang County were severely damaged by the flood during the summer of 2006. Now, even the facilities in good condition ended up being scrap metal due to lack of proper repair work. The Shinyang Chemical Factory also has stopped operation with its rusty facilities due to bad power supply and lack of material. An official from the Central Party said with regret, "None of the factories in Shinyang County is in normal operation. This is not a problem confined to Shinyang County, and it is very depressing."
Central Party, “Factories Should Not Expect Help from Above”
“In today’s circumstances factories cannot increase production or grow in size if they rely only on the assistance from above.” This is practically the only policy that the Central Party has given to regional factories. Simply put, the government is advocating self-revival. The example of Shinyang County factories being practically all but shut down is a nationwide phenomenon. Even in these conditions the Central Party has found a few model factories and has been advertising them on a large scale. The Central Party has recently lifted up the Pyongseong factory as a model example of self-revival. Recently the Channel 3 broadcast station has advertised, “Pyongseong paper factory had no better conditions than other factories. However, they have mobilized reserves and the employees have a high morale. In the past year they have renewed all their production processes. They set high standards and increased the production of paper and student workbooks. They have invented new products that are in high demand, thus diversifying their production. They have set bold goals that will significantly increase production rates compared to past seasons, and are faithfully devoted to their work.”
The Central Party claims that the officials’ outlook and attitudes are the reasons that Pyongseong paper factory is prospering although it has no better conditions than other factories, thus putting emphasis on ideology. One official of the Central Party says, “The Central Party blames the regional officials for the lack of production in the regional factories. They only criticize the district officials for not being able to manage the few factories in their own district. They say nothing about how they would help the regions. Just like parrots, they simply repeat words like ‘A powerful nation does not come automatically. It is created by our hard work and sweat. All our officials must come to their senses and not wait for someone’s help. They should reform and renovate on their own.’ How will the regional officials be encouraged by words like these? It is no wonder that the regional officials fall into self -seeking ways rather than help the people.” He judges that the Party’s policies have long since reached their limits.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
North Korea Today No. 434 December 21, 2011
[“Good Friends” aims to help the North Korean people from a humanistic point of view and publishes “North Korea Today” describing the way the North Korean people live as accurately as possible. We at Good Friends also hope to be a bridge between the North Korean people and the world.]
___________________________________________________________________________
[Intro] Let us Begin a New Era of Cooperation
Kim Jung Un in Charge Since October 10
New Policies from Kim Jung Un's Political Team?
No Officials to Be Dispatched Overseas in January
Tracking Down Anti-government Organization Liasons
Crackdown on Domestic Liasons to Overseas Anti-NK Organizations
North Koreans Suffer from Starvation and Increased Restriction
Rice Price Now Over NKW 5,000 Per Kilogram
___________________________________________________________________________
[Intro] Let us begin a new era of cooperation
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency ((KCNA) reported that " Chairman Kim passed away on December 17, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. due to accumulated physical and mental fatigue while on the way to conduct a regional guidance." On Dec. 20, South Korean Government stated that "We offer our condolences to the people of North Korea regarding the passing of Chairman Kim Jong Il. We hope that the situation in North Korea will quickly stabilize so that there will be a South-North cooperation for peace and prosperity of the peninsula." Despite recent rumors of Chairman Kim's poor health, with his active involvement with local guidance visits these days, his death came as a shock. We offer our deepest condolences to the people of North Korea.
During Chairman Kim’s rule, there was a possibility for North-South reconciliation, but in the end, the confrontation between the two did not come to an end. Now, with his death, the era of confrontation must be concluded, and a new era of mutual cooperation must begin. Rather than becoming anxious over Chairman Kim's death, we must create a new era of hope.
The world is currently being realigned into the G2 structure. To survive in this age of unlimited competition, South and North Korea must create a future of coexistence and prosperity. With increased economic ties with South Korea, the North Korean economy can revive at a very fast rate. The South Korean economy will also benefit from North Korean economic growth.
North Korean people are suffering from cold and starvation now. The mourning period for the death of Chairman Kim that prohibited any market activities is aggravating the suffering. The governments of North and South Korea must prioritize the alleviation of the suffering of 20 million people in North Korea.
The South Korean government must at once start humanitarian food aid to people in North Korea so that they can survive. The North Korean government must protect the right to survival for its people and make progress in respecting human rights. Now the time has come to stop the long history of confrontation, mistrust, and hatred amongst the Korean people, and for South and North Korea to start on the path of reconciliation, coexistence, and prosperity. To do so is the only way toward peace and reunification.
Kim Jung Un in Charge Since October 11
It is reported that the government has been operating under the leadership of Kim Jung Un since October 10. Chairman Kim Jung Il, because of health-related reasons, limited his attention to the task of maintaining the regime and overseeing party officials, while Vice Chairman Kim Jung Un's political team exercised real power. However, Vice Chairman Kim stated that he "would not become the official national leader in Chairman Kim's lifetime."
The task of replacing the older generation of officials with new ones started in 2009, starting with the Central Party's leadership; in 2010, the changeover went through the local parties and legal institutions (the prosecution and the court systems), and this year, there was a complete replacement of top officials and local party officials, who were already powerless by this time. During this process, people loyal to Kim Jung Nam and Kim Jung Chul, as well as other people of influence that could hinder the leadership change were purged from their positions. After the wholesale changeover came to an end this year, Vice Chairman Kim Jung Un started being in charge of the government internally but, nevertheless, officially. This was the time that Vice Chairman Kim's team came into life and started new national policies. However, because of Kim Jong Il's presence, they did not start policies that departed much from the existing ones.
New Policies from Kim Jung Un's Political Team?
The new political team of Kim Jung Un that came in life on October 10 of this year started new policies about general national management. The following few are examples of new policies that are already being implemented:
First, resolving the problem the electric shortage is the top priority.
Second, all the factories in the countries must be put into its full capacity and essential goods should be supplied at a normal rate in 2-3 years.
Third, next year's food supply must be ensured, prioritizing Pyongyang, Hoeryong, government officials, legal institutions and the army bases.
Fourth, all lawful institutions operating inside or outside of the country must concentrate their energy in the crackdown of anti-North Korea organizations overseas and those who have contacts with defectors. Border crossing must be eliminated by any means. All illegal cell phones must be confiscated and all cell phone users must be thoroughly investigated. Even those who were prosecuted before 2010 must be investigated again to eliminate all destabilizing factors in border areas.
Fifth, imports must be reduced, and foreign currency must be saved to be invested in important industries, including the defense industry, related to the goal of building a Strong and Prosperous Nation.
Sixth, by 2013, the presence of foreign goods in the domestic market should be reduced by half, Chinese goods in particular. Gradually, foreign goods must be eliminated from the domestic market, and all markets other than the farmers' market should be reduced or eliminated by ensuring the satisfactory supply of goods domestically.
The political team of Kim Jung Un has implemented sub-policies to achieve these goals. In the case of electric power production, it ordered the ban of coal export, which is a main source of foreign currency. The coals that are exported to China are the ones that were obligated on prior contracts. From next January, all coal exports will be banned so that the coal will go to domestic power plants. The plan for increasing overseas workers for earning foreign currency is currently under consideration. Other "new" economic policies were mainly the ones that were attempted with the currency reform in 2009. With the failure of the currency reform, however, they were put into a halt; but, with the new political team of Kim Jung Un this time, the policies are being endorsed again, with the belief that "The only way out of long-term economic crisis is to develop the domestic economy despite the possible short term difficulties."
No Officials to Be Dispatched Overseas in January
Beginning in January 2012 for at least a month, officials will not be dispatched to their overseas offices across all the government agencies, enterprises and trade companies. Those officials will not resume their work overseas until they study the detailed objectives and plans following the announcement of Joint New Year’s Editorial, observe birthday celebration of Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission Kim Jong-un (January 8), Korean New Year and February 16 holiday (birthday of late Kim Jong-il), and finally attend the general briefing for overseas officials.
Tracking Down Anti-government Organization Liasons
Recently, the North Korean security authorities have watched carefully the activities of defector organizations and anti-North Korean organizations overseas. Ministry of External Communication, Ministry of External Intelligence, National Security Agency and Guard Command Headquarters are closely watching each organization’s activities and making all-out efforts to track down their domestic liaisons. The authorities obtained the information that those organizations in foreign countries set February 16, the birthday of late Kim Jong-il, as ‘North Korean Defectors’ Day’ and will hold a wider conference of like-minded groups on April 15th, the 100th anniversary of late Kim Il-sung’s birthday. Particularly, the North Korean authorities are putting utmost efforts to find domestic and overseas liaisons and eradicate these “treasonous” groups in order to prevent simultaneous anti-North Korea activities in both Koreas.
Currently, the North Korean security authorities are reported to have figured out the personally identifying information of the members, schedules and activities of anti-North Korea and defector organizations overseas, but they have not been successful penetrating the organization structure preparing to act on the home front. A few who were caught so far turned out to be lone wolves and the authorities are working hard to identify important insider connections. The North Korean authorities decided that, should an anti-North Korea convention be hold next year, they will consider it as an act of provocation. The authorities are preparing themselves for a worst case scenario. “We can close our eyes to the anti-government radio broadcasting, but this (the convention) we will not condone. If South Korean government does not take any action to stop it, we will consider it as an act of provocation and respond accordingly. Seoul needs to recognize the severity of the situation and stop the irritating actions of the organizations. Only then the Republic (North Korea) will join the North-South talk,” one official warned sternly.
Crackdown on Domestic Liasons to Overseas Anti-NK Organizations
It is reported that the North Korean authorities believe that behind the anti-North Korea activities of defector organizations and overseas organizations is Lee Myung-bak administration. They think there is a Lee administration’s calculation to provoke local clash by manipulating those organizations to instigate North Korea. Thus, staff officers of Kim Jong-eun pointed out anti-North Korea organizations made up of defectors as a security threat and indicated that it is more urgent to catch a thief at home than spies overseas. Among outside forces, the United States, more than South Korea and Japan, is regarded as a big threat. According to one official, North Korean authorities predict that “The fastest way for the United States to turn around their economy is through arms sale and production. If they start a war in the Chosun (Korean) Peninsula, they can conquer Chosun (the peninsula) and keep China in check, while saving their own soil from the ravages of war. Hence, there is a high possibility of them to take risky actions” and prepare to have a talk with U.S.
North Koreans Suffer from Starvation and Increased Restriction
While As North Koreans face the immediate risk of starvation of such scale rivaling that of mid or late 1990s, officials at local levels are deeply frustrated by their inability to deal with it. Food ration and other aid provided by government are made available only to party and government officials, and continue to remain out of reach of ordinary people. The sharp drop in temperatures worsened the suffering from food shortage, giving rise to death from cold and starvation. Both Kangwon province and South Hamgyong Province reportedly began to see starvation, and about 10 people have reportedly died of hunger and cold during December in Chungjin, North Hamgyong Province.
The Central Party, however, strengthened the security and tightened the restrictions on travelers in order to head off any hint of unrest. As part of its efforts to shut down communication between regions, cell party members vowed not to reveal whatever happened in their own regions, and were reminded of punishment that would follow if they fail to keep to themselves whatever they knew about their region. Every day, all party cell members instruct housewives belonging to Neighborhood Units, including the members of Democratic Women’s Union, not to communicate whatever happens in their own region to people of other regions, claiming that encouraging communication is part of plot by nation’s enemy. Stringent travel restriction is also in place.
Rice Price Now Over NKW 5,000 Per Kilogram
December has seen a drastic rise in food price. Till November, the rice price in major cities except for Pyongyang ranged from 2,800 to 2,900 NKW/Kg. However, it went up by leaps and bounds beyond 5,000 NKW/Kg by the middle of December. In Pyongyang where rice price had plunged to 3,300 NKW/Kg in November, it is now above 5,000 NKW/Kg. The pessimistic forecast that rice price would soar to 5,000 NKW/Kg by December without food import turned out to be right. The exchange rate moved in parallel to the rice prices. Black market dollar rate went up beyond 5,000 NKW.
___________________________________________________________________________
[Intro] Let us Begin a New Era of Cooperation
Kim Jung Un in Charge Since October 10
New Policies from Kim Jung Un's Political Team?
No Officials to Be Dispatched Overseas in January
Tracking Down Anti-government Organization Liasons
Crackdown on Domestic Liasons to Overseas Anti-NK Organizations
North Koreans Suffer from Starvation and Increased Restriction
Rice Price Now Over NKW 5,000 Per Kilogram
___________________________________________________________________________
[Intro] Let us begin a new era of cooperation
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency ((KCNA) reported that " Chairman Kim passed away on December 17, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. due to accumulated physical and mental fatigue while on the way to conduct a regional guidance." On Dec. 20, South Korean Government stated that "We offer our condolences to the people of North Korea regarding the passing of Chairman Kim Jong Il. We hope that the situation in North Korea will quickly stabilize so that there will be a South-North cooperation for peace and prosperity of the peninsula." Despite recent rumors of Chairman Kim's poor health, with his active involvement with local guidance visits these days, his death came as a shock. We offer our deepest condolences to the people of North Korea.
During Chairman Kim’s rule, there was a possibility for North-South reconciliation, but in the end, the confrontation between the two did not come to an end. Now, with his death, the era of confrontation must be concluded, and a new era of mutual cooperation must begin. Rather than becoming anxious over Chairman Kim's death, we must create a new era of hope.
The world is currently being realigned into the G2 structure. To survive in this age of unlimited competition, South and North Korea must create a future of coexistence and prosperity. With increased economic ties with South Korea, the North Korean economy can revive at a very fast rate. The South Korean economy will also benefit from North Korean economic growth.
North Korean people are suffering from cold and starvation now. The mourning period for the death of Chairman Kim that prohibited any market activities is aggravating the suffering. The governments of North and South Korea must prioritize the alleviation of the suffering of 20 million people in North Korea.
The South Korean government must at once start humanitarian food aid to people in North Korea so that they can survive. The North Korean government must protect the right to survival for its people and make progress in respecting human rights. Now the time has come to stop the long history of confrontation, mistrust, and hatred amongst the Korean people, and for South and North Korea to start on the path of reconciliation, coexistence, and prosperity. To do so is the only way toward peace and reunification.
Kim Jung Un in Charge Since October 11
It is reported that the government has been operating under the leadership of Kim Jung Un since October 10. Chairman Kim Jung Il, because of health-related reasons, limited his attention to the task of maintaining the regime and overseeing party officials, while Vice Chairman Kim Jung Un's political team exercised real power. However, Vice Chairman Kim stated that he "would not become the official national leader in Chairman Kim's lifetime."
The task of replacing the older generation of officials with new ones started in 2009, starting with the Central Party's leadership; in 2010, the changeover went through the local parties and legal institutions (the prosecution and the court systems), and this year, there was a complete replacement of top officials and local party officials, who were already powerless by this time. During this process, people loyal to Kim Jung Nam and Kim Jung Chul, as well as other people of influence that could hinder the leadership change were purged from their positions. After the wholesale changeover came to an end this year, Vice Chairman Kim Jung Un started being in charge of the government internally but, nevertheless, officially. This was the time that Vice Chairman Kim's team came into life and started new national policies. However, because of Kim Jong Il's presence, they did not start policies that departed much from the existing ones.
New Policies from Kim Jung Un's Political Team?
The new political team of Kim Jung Un that came in life on October 10 of this year started new policies about general national management. The following few are examples of new policies that are already being implemented:
First, resolving the problem the electric shortage is the top priority.
Second, all the factories in the countries must be put into its full capacity and essential goods should be supplied at a normal rate in 2-3 years.
Third, next year's food supply must be ensured, prioritizing Pyongyang, Hoeryong, government officials, legal institutions and the army bases.
Fourth, all lawful institutions operating inside or outside of the country must concentrate their energy in the crackdown of anti-North Korea organizations overseas and those who have contacts with defectors. Border crossing must be eliminated by any means. All illegal cell phones must be confiscated and all cell phone users must be thoroughly investigated. Even those who were prosecuted before 2010 must be investigated again to eliminate all destabilizing factors in border areas.
Fifth, imports must be reduced, and foreign currency must be saved to be invested in important industries, including the defense industry, related to the goal of building a Strong and Prosperous Nation.
Sixth, by 2013, the presence of foreign goods in the domestic market should be reduced by half, Chinese goods in particular. Gradually, foreign goods must be eliminated from the domestic market, and all markets other than the farmers' market should be reduced or eliminated by ensuring the satisfactory supply of goods domestically.
The political team of Kim Jung Un has implemented sub-policies to achieve these goals. In the case of electric power production, it ordered the ban of coal export, which is a main source of foreign currency. The coals that are exported to China are the ones that were obligated on prior contracts. From next January, all coal exports will be banned so that the coal will go to domestic power plants. The plan for increasing overseas workers for earning foreign currency is currently under consideration. Other "new" economic policies were mainly the ones that were attempted with the currency reform in 2009. With the failure of the currency reform, however, they were put into a halt; but, with the new political team of Kim Jung Un this time, the policies are being endorsed again, with the belief that "The only way out of long-term economic crisis is to develop the domestic economy despite the possible short term difficulties."
No Officials to Be Dispatched Overseas in January
Beginning in January 2012 for at least a month, officials will not be dispatched to their overseas offices across all the government agencies, enterprises and trade companies. Those officials will not resume their work overseas until they study the detailed objectives and plans following the announcement of Joint New Year’s Editorial, observe birthday celebration of Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission Kim Jong-un (January 8), Korean New Year and February 16 holiday (birthday of late Kim Jong-il), and finally attend the general briefing for overseas officials.
Tracking Down Anti-government Organization Liasons
Recently, the North Korean security authorities have watched carefully the activities of defector organizations and anti-North Korean organizations overseas. Ministry of External Communication, Ministry of External Intelligence, National Security Agency and Guard Command Headquarters are closely watching each organization’s activities and making all-out efforts to track down their domestic liaisons. The authorities obtained the information that those organizations in foreign countries set February 16, the birthday of late Kim Jong-il, as ‘North Korean Defectors’ Day’ and will hold a wider conference of like-minded groups on April 15th, the 100th anniversary of late Kim Il-sung’s birthday. Particularly, the North Korean authorities are putting utmost efforts to find domestic and overseas liaisons and eradicate these “treasonous” groups in order to prevent simultaneous anti-North Korea activities in both Koreas.
Currently, the North Korean security authorities are reported to have figured out the personally identifying information of the members, schedules and activities of anti-North Korea and defector organizations overseas, but they have not been successful penetrating the organization structure preparing to act on the home front. A few who were caught so far turned out to be lone wolves and the authorities are working hard to identify important insider connections. The North Korean authorities decided that, should an anti-North Korea convention be hold next year, they will consider it as an act of provocation. The authorities are preparing themselves for a worst case scenario. “We can close our eyes to the anti-government radio broadcasting, but this (the convention) we will not condone. If South Korean government does not take any action to stop it, we will consider it as an act of provocation and respond accordingly. Seoul needs to recognize the severity of the situation and stop the irritating actions of the organizations. Only then the Republic (North Korea) will join the North-South talk,” one official warned sternly.
Crackdown on Domestic Liasons to Overseas Anti-NK Organizations
It is reported that the North Korean authorities believe that behind the anti-North Korea activities of defector organizations and overseas organizations is Lee Myung-bak administration. They think there is a Lee administration’s calculation to provoke local clash by manipulating those organizations to instigate North Korea. Thus, staff officers of Kim Jong-eun pointed out anti-North Korea organizations made up of defectors as a security threat and indicated that it is more urgent to catch a thief at home than spies overseas. Among outside forces, the United States, more than South Korea and Japan, is regarded as a big threat. According to one official, North Korean authorities predict that “The fastest way for the United States to turn around their economy is through arms sale and production. If they start a war in the Chosun (Korean) Peninsula, they can conquer Chosun (the peninsula) and keep China in check, while saving their own soil from the ravages of war. Hence, there is a high possibility of them to take risky actions” and prepare to have a talk with U.S.
North Koreans Suffer from Starvation and Increased Restriction
While As North Koreans face the immediate risk of starvation of such scale rivaling that of mid or late 1990s, officials at local levels are deeply frustrated by their inability to deal with it. Food ration and other aid provided by government are made available only to party and government officials, and continue to remain out of reach of ordinary people. The sharp drop in temperatures worsened the suffering from food shortage, giving rise to death from cold and starvation. Both Kangwon province and South Hamgyong Province reportedly began to see starvation, and about 10 people have reportedly died of hunger and cold during December in Chungjin, North Hamgyong Province.
The Central Party, however, strengthened the security and tightened the restrictions on travelers in order to head off any hint of unrest. As part of its efforts to shut down communication between regions, cell party members vowed not to reveal whatever happened in their own regions, and were reminded of punishment that would follow if they fail to keep to themselves whatever they knew about their region. Every day, all party cell members instruct housewives belonging to Neighborhood Units, including the members of Democratic Women’s Union, not to communicate whatever happens in their own region to people of other regions, claiming that encouraging communication is part of plot by nation’s enemy. Stringent travel restriction is also in place.
Rice Price Now Over NKW 5,000 Per Kilogram
December has seen a drastic rise in food price. Till November, the rice price in major cities except for Pyongyang ranged from 2,800 to 2,900 NKW/Kg. However, it went up by leaps and bounds beyond 5,000 NKW/Kg by the middle of December. In Pyongyang where rice price had plunged to 3,300 NKW/Kg in November, it is now above 5,000 NKW/Kg. The pessimistic forecast that rice price would soar to 5,000 NKW/Kg by December without food import turned out to be right. The exchange rate moved in parallel to the rice prices. Black market dollar rate went up beyond 5,000 NKW.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
North Korea Today No. 433 December 14, 2011
[“Good Friends” aims to help the North Korean people from a humanistic point of view and publishes “North Korea Today” describing the way the North Korean people live as accurately as possible. We at Good Friends also hope to be a bridge between the North Korean people and the world.]
___________________________________________________________________________[Intro] Let us Begin a New Era of Cooperation
Kim Jung Un in Charge Since October 10
New Policies from Kim Jung Un's Political Team?
No Officials to Be Dispatched Overseas in January
Tracking Down Anti-government Organization Liasons
Crackdown on Domestic Liasons to Overseas Anti-NK Organizations
North Koreans Suffer from Starvation and Increased Restriction
Rice Price Now Over NKW 5,000 Per Kilogram
___________________________________________________________________________
[Intro] Let us Begin a New Era of Cooperation
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that "The Chairman Kim passed away on December 17, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. due to accumulated physical and mental fatigue in the way while on the way to conduct a regional oversight guidancedue to accumulated physical and mental fatigue." On Dec. 20, the South Korean Government stated that "We offer our condolences to the people of North Korea regarding the passing of Chairman Kim Jong Il. We hope that the situation in North Korea will quickly stabilize so that there will be a South-North cooperation for the peace and prosperity of the peninsula." Despite the recent rumors of Chairman Kim's poor health, with his active involvement with local supervision guidance visits these days, his death came as a shock. We offer our deepest condolences for to the people of North Korea.
During Chairman Kim’s rule , there was a possibility for North-South reconciliation, but in the end, the confrontation between the two did not come to an end. Now, with his death, the era of confrontation must be put to an endconcluded, and a new era of mutual cooperation must begin. We shall not become uneasy aboutRather than becoming anxious over Chairman Kim's death; rather, we must create a new era of hope.
The world is currently being reorganized realigned into the G2 structure. To survive in this age of unlimited competition, South and North Korea must create a future of coexistence and prosperity. With an increased economic ties with South Korea, the North Korean economy can revive at a very fast rate. The South Korean economy will also benefit from the North Korean economic growth.
North Korean people are suffering from cold and starvation now. On top of it, t The mourning period for the death of Chairman Kim that put a stop to prohibited any market activities is aggravating , aggravating the suffering. The governments of North and South Korea must prioritize the alleviation of alleviating the suffering of 20 million people in North Korea.
The South Korean government must at once start humanitarian food aid to people in North Korea so that they can livesurvive. The North Korean government must protect the right to survival for its people and make progress in respecting human rights. Now the time has come to stop the long history of confrontation, mistrust, and hatred amongst the Korean people, and for South and North Korea to start cooperation for a future ofon the path of reconciliation reconciliation, coexistence, and prosperity. To do so is the only road way toward peace and reunification.
Kim Jung Un in Charge Since October 11
It is reported that the government has been operating under the leadership of Kim Jung Un since October 10. Chairman Kim Jung Il, because of health-related reasons, confined limited his attention to the himself into the task of maintaining the regime and overseeing party officials, and while Vice Chairman Kim Jung Un's political team exercised real power. However, Vice Chairman Kim stated that he "would not become the official national leader in Chairman Kim's lifetime."
The task of replacing the older generation of officials with new ones started in 2009, starting with from the Central Party's leadership; , and in 2010, it the changeover went through the local parties and legal institutions (the prosecution , and the court systems), and this year, there was a complete replacement of top officials and local party officials, who were already powerless by thenthis time. During this process, the people loyalmen of to Kim Jung Nam and Kim Jung Chul, as well as other people of influence that can could hinder the generational leadership change of the leadership, were eliminated purged from their positions. After this year's generational changethe wholesale changeover came to an end this year, Vice Chairman Kim Jung Un started being in charge of the government , only internally but, nevertheless, officially. This is was the time that Vice Chairman Kim's team came into life and started new national policies. However, because of Kim Jong Il's presence, they did not start policies that departed much from the existing ones.
New Policies from Kim Jung Un's Political Team?
The new political team of Kim Jung Un that came in life on October 10 of this year started new policies about general national management. The following few are examples of new policies that are already being implemented:
First, resolving the problem the electric shortage is the top priority.
Second, all the factories in the countries must be put into its full capacity and life essential goodss should be supplied normally at a normal rate in 2-3 years.
Third, next year's food supply must be ensured, prioritisingprioritizing Pyongyang, Hoeeoryong, officers in government institutions and local officialsgovernment officials, and all legal institutions and the army bases.
Fourth, all lawful institutions operating inside or outside of the country must concentrate their energy in the crackdown of anti-North Korea organizations overseas and those who have contacts with defectors. Border crossing must be eliminated by any means. All illegal cell phones must be confiscated and all cell phone users must be thoroughly investigated. Even those who were prosecuted before 2010 must be investigated again to eliminate all destabilizing factors in border areas.
Fifth, imports must be reduced, and foreign currency must be saved to be invested in important industries, including the defense industry, related to the goal of building a Strong and Prosperous Nation., including the defense industry.
Sixth, by 2013, the presence of foreign goods in the domestic market should be reduced into by half, and Chinese goods in particular should be limited. Gradually, foreign goods must be eliminated from the domestic market, and all markets other than the farmers' market should be reduced or eliminated by ensuring the satisfactory supply of goods domestically.
The political team of Kim Jung Un has implemented sub-policies to achieve these goals. In the case of electric power production, it ordered the ban of coal export, which is a main source of foreign currency. The coals that are exported to China are the ones that were sold obligated on prior contracts. From next January, all coal exports will be banned so that the coal will go to domestic power plants. The plan for increasing overseas workers for earning foreign currency is currently under consideration. Other "new" economic policies were mainly the ones that were attempted with the currency reform in 2009. With the failure of the currency reform, however, they were put into a halt; but, , and with the new political team of Kim Jung Un this time, the policies are being endorsed again, with the belief that "The only way out of long-term economic crisis is to develop the domestic economy despite the possible short term difficulties."
No Officials to Be Dispatched Overseas in January
Beginning in January 2012 for at least a month, officials will not be dispatched to their overseas offices in across all the government agencies, enterprises and trade companies. Those officials will not resume their work overseas until they study the detailed objectives and plans following the announcement of Joint New Year’s Editorial, observe birthday celebration of Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission Kim Jong-un (January 8), Korean New Year and February 16 holiday (birthday of late Kim Jong-il), and finally attend the general briefing for overseas officials.
Tracking Down Anti-government Organization Liasons
Recently, the North Korean security authorities have watched carefully the political movesactivities of defector organizations and anti-North Korean organizations overseas. Ministry of External Communication, Ministry of External Intelligence, National Security Agency and Guard Command Headquarters are closely watching each organization’s activities and making all-out efforts to track down their domestic liaisons. The authorities obtained the information that those organizations in foreign countries set February 16, the birthday of late Kim Jong-il, as ‘North Korean Defectors’ Day’ and will hold a wider coalition meetingconference of like-minded groups on April 15th, the 100th anniversary of late Kim Il-sung’s birthday. Particularly, the North Korean authorities are putting utpmost efforts to find domestic and overseas liaisons and eradicate treason these “treasonous” groups in order to prevent simultaneous anti-government North Korea activities in both Koreas.
Currently, the North Korean security authorities are reported to have figured out the personal personally identifying information of the members, schedules and activities of anti-North Korea and defector organizations overseas, but they have not been successful with locatingpenetrating the organizing organization structure lines preparing to act on the home front. A few who were caught so far turned out to be single lines, lone wolves and the authorities are working hard to identify important liaisonsinsider connections. The North Korean authorities decided that, should an anti-North Korea convention be hold next year, they will consider it as an act of provocation. The authorities are preparing themselves for the a worst case scenario. “We can close our eyes to the anti-government radio broadcasting, but this (the convention) we will not condone. If South Korean government does not take any action to stop it, we will consider it as an act of provocation and respond accordingly. Seoul needs to recognize the severity of the situation and stop the irritatingon actions of the organizations. Only then the Republic (North Korea) will join the North-South talk,” one official warned sternly.
Crackdown on Domestic Liasons to Overseas Anti-NK Organizations
It is reported that the North Korean authorities believe that behind the anti-North Korea activities of defector organizations and overseas organizations is Lee Myung-bak administration. They think there is a Lee administration’s calculation to provoke local clash by manipulating those organizations to instigate North Korea. Thus, staff officers of Kim Jong-eun pointed out anti-North Korea organizations made up of defectors as a security threat and indicated that it is more urgent to catch a thief at home than spies overseas. Among outside forces, the United States, more than South Korea and Japan, is regarded as a big threat. According to one official, North Korean authorities predict that “The fastest way for the United States to turn around their economy is through arms sale and production. If they start a war in the Chosun (Korean) Peninsula, they can conquer Chosun (the peninsula) and keep China in check, while saving their own soil from the ravages of war. Hence, there is a high possibility of them to take risky actions” and prepare to have a talk with U.S.
North Koreans Suffer from Starvation and Increased Restriction
While As North Koreans face the immediate risk of starvation of such scale as rivaling that of mid or late 1990s, the officials at local levels are deeply frustrated in by their inability to deal with it. Food ration and other aid provided by government are made available only to all of party and government officials, and continue to remain out of reach of ordinary people. The sharp drop in temperatures worsened the suffering from food shortage, giving rise to death from cold and starvation. Both Kangwon province and South Hamgyong Province reportedly began to see starvation, and about 10 people have reportedly died of hunger and cold during December in Chungjin, North Hamgyong Province.
The Central Party, however, strengthened the security and tightened the restrictions on travelers in order to head off any hint of unrest. As part of its efforts to shut down communication between regions, (towns or areas?), the members of cell party members vowed not to reveal whatever happened in their own region s(towns or areas), and were reminded of punishment that would follow if they fail to keep to themselves whatever they knew about their region. Every day, all party cell agents members instruct Housewives ofhousewives belonging to Neighborhood Units, including the members of Democratic Women’s Union, not to communicate whatever happens in their own region to people of other regions, claiming that encouraging communication is part of plot by nation’s enemy. Harsh Stringent travel restriction is also in place.
Rice Price Now Over NKW 5,000 Per Kilogram
December has seen a drastic rise in food price. Till November, the rice price in major cities except for Pyong-yang ranged from 2,800 to 2,900 NKW/Kg. However, it went up by leaps and bounds beyond 5,000 NKW/Kg by the middle of December. In Pyong-yang where rice price had plunged to 3,300 NKW/Kg in November, it is now above 5,000 NKW/Kg. The pessimistic forecast that rice price would soar to 5,000 NKW/Kg by December without food import turneds out to be right. The exchange rate moved togetherin parallel to the rice prices. Black market dollar rate went up beyond 5,000 NKW.
Food price and dollar exchange rate in Pyongyang (November – December, 2011)
(Unit: NKW)
North Korea Today No. 432 December 7, 2011
[“Good Friends” aims to help the North Korean people from a humanistic point of view and publishes “North Korea Today” describing the way the North Korean people live as accurately as possible. We at Good Friends also hope to be a bridge between the North Korean people and the world.]
___________________________________________________________________________
North Korean Mineral Sources As A Win-Win For Both North And South Korea.
Crisis Over Fuel Shortage Put On A Brake On Coal Export.
Will Reducing Coal Exports Relieve The Power Crisis?
Life Of An Aged Coal Miner Couple
3000 Won For A Kilogram Of Rice In Pyongyang
___________________________________________________________________________
North Korean Mineral Sources as as a Win-Win for Both North and South Korea
The reason for the lagging production of coal in North Korea is due to the lack of electricity, aged facilities and infrastructure. Shortage of electricity supply causes ineffective production of coal, and without coal, it is impossible to run thermal power generators. Yet, the amount of coal export increased. Uncontrolled coal export will lead to electric power shortage. This is the reason why government put on the brakes on further coal exports. Also, investment in coal mines by China did not live up to the expectation. Even if the quality of coal is high, no business is willing to foot the bill to upkeep the road, arrange transport, and manage facilities and materials involved with coal mining and export. Furthermore, missing deadlines for delivery and doubling up supply contracts with different partners are affecting the mines’ ability to meet the demand. Without improving the system, attracting investment will be difficult, and without investment, productivity cannot be improved; further, the lack of domestic supply will not help electrical power shortage. This vicious circle, however, can be overcome. North Korean mineral sources are a god candidatre to serve as a platform for North and South cooperation. North Korean government should work on building trust among related parties by improving its convoluted system, and South Korean government should administrate North Korean resources with long-term goal.
Crisis over Fuel Shortage Put on a Brake on Coal Export
North Korean government started to put on a brake on the coal export in those cases where it has handed over its coal mining concession and administrative development rights to China. For more foreign currency, it has been exporting domestic coal supplies, but recently an awareness over the crisis of speedy coal depletion has been raised. It reduced the export amount of coal recently, which goes much farther than its original plans to merely curtail the awarding of more mining rights. The reduction in export cannot be confirmed clearly as contracted export deliveries still continue, but it is expected that coal export will drop to one-tenth of the current amount. One official in the Central Party said, “We are not proposing a ban or limit on resource export. This doesn’t apply to those companies tha already has contracts or has already been awarded mining rights. We have decided that minerals such as iron ore, bronze and silver are still open to investment bids, but we won’t be granting operational rights to the mines. We will see how this goes. But if we block everything, the source of foreign currency will dry up, so we limit the export limit only to coal. He also added that there is no other alternative option other than mineral export in this time of economic hardships.
Will Reducing Coal Exports Relieve the Power Crisis?
According to Party officials, the recent policy of reducing coal exports is in response to the worsening power crisis. The power shortage in North Korea has been exacerbated by the export of coals normally used for domestic consumption. There is no alternative way to address this issue. Higher productivity of coals mines cannot expected without foreign investments, and most of coals that are currently produced are sold to China.
One of the Central Party officials said, “To ease the severity of the power shortage, workers in power plants are working hard. But the plants are not fully operational because supplies for the facilities are not guaranteed, especially coals. The Central Party has demanded workers in coal mining industry to increase coals output. We know it’s not a perfect condition to produce more coals, but, as the only solution, workers are requested to work diligently with a sense of responsibility to the power crisis, rather than just being idle until working conditions get better. The Party insists on the workers to be the driving force of the Revolution. After all, it lies upon the workers. Even though we said that the coals supply to thermal power plants should be guaranteed, nothing has been changed as a policy, but reducing the export of coals has been just announced. We said that this is the necessary measures to relieve the shortage of coals for domestic consumption and fast exhaustion of coal reserves. However, the main reason is more likely that there is no actual investment in North Korea. Chinese investments focus just on the border area. Companies are actively investing in the border area since roads and railroads are constructed and electricity is easily supplied by the Chinese government, but it’s very passive in the inside of North Korea. It’s difficult to produce more coals without foreign investments. I am lost where and how we should start first since we have to address so many challenges before we to the power crisis”. He sighed hopelessly.
Life of an Aged Coal Miner Couple
Workers at the coal mines work day and night under life threatening circumstances regardless of age or gender The coal mines which are referred to as People’s Mines are extracted using labor teams organized by neighborhoods or families, who dig using vertical shafts as a unit. The dug up coals are called ‘self-coals’ or ‘People’s coals.’ Hak Sung Song, who turned seventy this year, mines for a living at a coal mine in Saebyul District, North Hamgyong Province. He is sought out among the youths for his ability to build shores while digging. Song can also detect locations of coal seams like no other. This sustains him because the young workers share their coals with him in exchange for his skills. His wife earns money by waiting by the pit’s mouth and transporting the extracted coal on her back. On their days-off, the couple sells their coal for profit. The neighbors view the old couple approvingly, praising them for the diligence they show despite their age.
3000 Won for a Kilogram of Rice in Pyongyang
Price of rice in Pyongyang shows no sign of going down from the current 3000 won per kilogram. A kilogram of rice was traded for as much as 3,800 won in early November. Corn cost 2,300 won, equivalent to the cost of the rice in other regions. The price usually falls around this time of the year as food is brought in from Hwanghae and South Pyongan Provinces, but this year the food production has taken a nose dive in North Korea’s granaries. The price remains around 3,300 won although the harvest has ended and the food has been brought in. Corn price on the other hand, has dropped drastically from 2,300 won to 1,300 won because corn is released in the market more frequently than rice. In North Hamgyong Province, which suffered less damage from the heavy rain, the price of rice dropped from 3,600 won to 2,900 won in Chungjin, and 2,700 to 2,800 won in Hoeryong. Corn is sold for around 750 to 760. Other provincial cities share similar prices.
Comparison of Pyongyang food prices and dollar as of late November, 2011
1 dollar 3,450
rice (kg) 3,200
corn (kg) 1,700
___________________________________________________________________________
North Korean Mineral Sources As A Win-Win For Both North And South Korea.
Crisis Over Fuel Shortage Put On A Brake On Coal Export.
Will Reducing Coal Exports Relieve The Power Crisis?
Life Of An Aged Coal Miner Couple
3000 Won For A Kilogram Of Rice In Pyongyang
___________________________________________________________________________
North Korean Mineral Sources as as a Win-Win for Both North and South Korea
The reason for the lagging production of coal in North Korea is due to the lack of electricity, aged facilities and infrastructure. Shortage of electricity supply causes ineffective production of coal, and without coal, it is impossible to run thermal power generators. Yet, the amount of coal export increased. Uncontrolled coal export will lead to electric power shortage. This is the reason why government put on the brakes on further coal exports. Also, investment in coal mines by China did not live up to the expectation. Even if the quality of coal is high, no business is willing to foot the bill to upkeep the road, arrange transport, and manage facilities and materials involved with coal mining and export. Furthermore, missing deadlines for delivery and doubling up supply contracts with different partners are affecting the mines’ ability to meet the demand. Without improving the system, attracting investment will be difficult, and without investment, productivity cannot be improved; further, the lack of domestic supply will not help electrical power shortage. This vicious circle, however, can be overcome. North Korean mineral sources are a god candidatre to serve as a platform for North and South cooperation. North Korean government should work on building trust among related parties by improving its convoluted system, and South Korean government should administrate North Korean resources with long-term goal.
Crisis over Fuel Shortage Put on a Brake on Coal Export
North Korean government started to put on a brake on the coal export in those cases where it has handed over its coal mining concession and administrative development rights to China. For more foreign currency, it has been exporting domestic coal supplies, but recently an awareness over the crisis of speedy coal depletion has been raised. It reduced the export amount of coal recently, which goes much farther than its original plans to merely curtail the awarding of more mining rights. The reduction in export cannot be confirmed clearly as contracted export deliveries still continue, but it is expected that coal export will drop to one-tenth of the current amount. One official in the Central Party said, “We are not proposing a ban or limit on resource export. This doesn’t apply to those companies tha already has contracts or has already been awarded mining rights. We have decided that minerals such as iron ore, bronze and silver are still open to investment bids, but we won’t be granting operational rights to the mines. We will see how this goes. But if we block everything, the source of foreign currency will dry up, so we limit the export limit only to coal. He also added that there is no other alternative option other than mineral export in this time of economic hardships.
Will Reducing Coal Exports Relieve the Power Crisis?
According to Party officials, the recent policy of reducing coal exports is in response to the worsening power crisis. The power shortage in North Korea has been exacerbated by the export of coals normally used for domestic consumption. There is no alternative way to address this issue. Higher productivity of coals mines cannot expected without foreign investments, and most of coals that are currently produced are sold to China.
One of the Central Party officials said, “To ease the severity of the power shortage, workers in power plants are working hard. But the plants are not fully operational because supplies for the facilities are not guaranteed, especially coals. The Central Party has demanded workers in coal mining industry to increase coals output. We know it’s not a perfect condition to produce more coals, but, as the only solution, workers are requested to work diligently with a sense of responsibility to the power crisis, rather than just being idle until working conditions get better. The Party insists on the workers to be the driving force of the Revolution. After all, it lies upon the workers. Even though we said that the coals supply to thermal power plants should be guaranteed, nothing has been changed as a policy, but reducing the export of coals has been just announced. We said that this is the necessary measures to relieve the shortage of coals for domestic consumption and fast exhaustion of coal reserves. However, the main reason is more likely that there is no actual investment in North Korea. Chinese investments focus just on the border area. Companies are actively investing in the border area since roads and railroads are constructed and electricity is easily supplied by the Chinese government, but it’s very passive in the inside of North Korea. It’s difficult to produce more coals without foreign investments. I am lost where and how we should start first since we have to address so many challenges before we to the power crisis”. He sighed hopelessly.
Life of an Aged Coal Miner Couple
Workers at the coal mines work day and night under life threatening circumstances regardless of age or gender The coal mines which are referred to as People’s Mines are extracted using labor teams organized by neighborhoods or families, who dig using vertical shafts as a unit. The dug up coals are called ‘self-coals’ or ‘People’s coals.’ Hak Sung Song, who turned seventy this year, mines for a living at a coal mine in Saebyul District, North Hamgyong Province. He is sought out among the youths for his ability to build shores while digging. Song can also detect locations of coal seams like no other. This sustains him because the young workers share their coals with him in exchange for his skills. His wife earns money by waiting by the pit’s mouth and transporting the extracted coal on her back. On their days-off, the couple sells their coal for profit. The neighbors view the old couple approvingly, praising them for the diligence they show despite their age.
3000 Won for a Kilogram of Rice in Pyongyang
Price of rice in Pyongyang shows no sign of going down from the current 3000 won per kilogram. A kilogram of rice was traded for as much as 3,800 won in early November. Corn cost 2,300 won, equivalent to the cost of the rice in other regions. The price usually falls around this time of the year as food is brought in from Hwanghae and South Pyongan Provinces, but this year the food production has taken a nose dive in North Korea’s granaries. The price remains around 3,300 won although the harvest has ended and the food has been brought in. Corn price on the other hand, has dropped drastically from 2,300 won to 1,300 won because corn is released in the market more frequently than rice. In North Hamgyong Province, which suffered less damage from the heavy rain, the price of rice dropped from 3,600 won to 2,900 won in Chungjin, and 2,700 to 2,800 won in Hoeryong. Corn is sold for around 750 to 760. Other provincial cities share similar prices.
Comparison of Pyongyang food prices and dollar as of late November, 2011
1 dollar 3,450
rice (kg) 3,200
corn (kg) 1,700
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