Good Friends USA

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

North Korea Today No. 339 April 2010

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Announcement: Good Friends will not be releasing its weekly publication, North Korea Today, for one month in April to take the much needed time for reorganization. We will resume the publication after the break with new improvements. We appreciate your interests and support for NKT. Good Friends will continue to do the best it can to help North Korean people’s voice be heard as accurately as possible and to serve as a foundation for peaceful reunification of Korea.Thank you. Good Friends USA

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[Hot Topics]
Rice Price Drops Temporarily Due to Regulations by 100:1 Enforcement Agents
Drop of Foreign Currency is Linked to Falling Rice Price
Large Factories Provide Rations by Selling Pig Iron, Influencing Drop in Rice Price

[Food]
People Die of Starvation Everyday in Sinuiju

[Economy]
Experts inside North Korea said “The wrong policy causes a couple of million dollar loss every day”.

[Politics]
Central Party Security Groups Dispatched to National Border Area to Confiscate Mobile Phones

[Society]
Conscription this Year, “Girls Taller than 155cm to be Drafted without Exception”
Fishermen Lament Being Regarded as Means of Earning Money, rather than Husbands

[Women/Children/Education]
North Hamgyong Province, Junior High School Moves to Hoeryong from Chungjin

[Accidents]
Security Agent Murdered While Trying to Confiscate a Cell Phone in Hoeryong City

[Investigative Report]
What is meant by “Every Price Must Be Converted at the Rate of 100:1?”
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[Hot Topics]
Rice Price Drops Temporarily Due to Regulations by 100:1 Enforcement Agents
On March 30th, the price of rice plummeted from 700 NKW/kg to 140 NKW/kg in Dangsang Market of Mangyundae area, Pyongyang City. It is not the only commodity affected. For example, the price of corn dropped from 400-500 NKW per kilogram to 40 NKW, or roughly 1/10 of the previous price. The prices are going down in other regions as well. On the same day, rice was 200 NKW per kilogram and corn was 68 NKW per kilogram in Haeju City of South Hwanghae Province. In Hoeryong City of North Hamgyong Province, rice was 250 NKW and corn was 80 NKW. The wholesale sellers of food believe that the price of rice dropped from 700-800 NKW per kilogram to 200 NKW on average nationwide because of the regulations by 100:1 standing committee, not because of an increase in rice supply. From March 16th to 18th, one member of the cabinet was dispatched in each county to exercise an intense control of the market.

On March 29th, the Leading Secretaries of city and county parties, the chairman of People’s Assembly, and the chief officers from Safety Bureau and trade officers gathered and held a meeting to discuss ways to stabilize the recent prices of food and goods. The meeting announced the following: “Since the enforcement of this economic policy (the currency exchange) of the nation, people’s standard of living has been lowered drastically because goods and food were not circulated, therefore aggravating public sentiment every day. In order to rectify this, an organization work must be enforced, and each city and county must dedicate itself in reinforcing the control and diligently performing the duty of supervising 100:1 standing committee members. The task of regulating the price of goods as was directed by the state must be finished by April 1st. In order to eliminate the fluctuation of price, the value of foreign currency must be dropped and the value of state currency (North Korean won) must be enhanced. People can enjoy stable life only after the price is under control.”

Drop of Foreign Currency is Linked to Falling Rice Price
While the 100:1 standing committee is expected to stabilize the prices, some experts inside North Korea predict that rice price cannot be stabilized by the work of the committee because its role is only a temporary measure. Some say that the reason for the fall of rice price is not because of 100:1 standing committee, but because of dropping foreign currency. The currency exchange rate was 2,300 NKW per USD on March 4th and it came down to 500 NKW as of March 30th. Exchange rate of US dollar is set in Sinuiju, not in Pyongyang. The sudden dropping of USD exchange rate was due to releasing of government hoarded USD into the market by allowing individuals to purchase it using new NK currency. While this fall of USD exchange rate has helped price of rice and other necessities to fall, some argue, this effect is only temporary and not an ultimate solution. Despite the price fall, the rice is still too expensive for people without money to afford. Also, without a large supply of food from outside, the price would rise again shortly because there is not so much food available inside North Korea.

Large Factories Provide Rations by Selling Pig Iron, Influencing Drop in Rice Price
Currently, rations have only been distributed in Pyongyang for the month of March. In Hamheung, Chungjin and Wonsan, large factories provided food to their laborers by selling pig iron and machines. Therefore, laborers in large factories are not purchasing food from markets due to these provisions, which may have caused downward pressure on rice prices in areas outside of Pyongyang. As of April 1, the rice supply had not reached its maximum, which means that rice prices did not fall due to imports from China or due to hoarded rice released in the markets by individuals, whom safety authorities have already inspected. Therefore, there is no reason for the food situation to improve at the moment.

[Food]
People Die of Starvation Everyday in Sinuiju
People continue to die of starvation at a steady rate in Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province. Countless civilians have been dying due to malnutrition since January in Rakwon 1-2 Dong and Rakchung 1-2 Dong, city of South Sinuiju, where the Rakwon Mechanics Union Company is located. The exact number of deaths is uncertain, but it is estimated to have mounted to 3,000. About half of the population of Sinuiju is being sustained on corn gruel, and still many have nothing. The head of each of the neighborhood units reports the deaths to the village office, who then reports them to the police station. However, they are not permitted to state malnutrition as the cause of the deaths. The heads of the units are under strict surveillance to prevent the word of starvation to spread. The residents of Sinuiju are gravely concerned about the consequences that will follow if the food supply remains at its low level going into mid April. The situation is no better in Dukchun, South Pyongan Province, Kangye, Jagang Province, and Wonsan, Kangwon Province, where many people have been dying of starvation as well.

[Economy]
Experts inside North Korea said “The wrong policy causes a couple of million dollar loss every day”.
“First, after the currency reform, the NK government set the rice price 44 NKW per 1kg of rice. This was the first problem. After the 7.1 economic measures, the price became 44 NKW/kg which was 0.08 NKW beforehand. Even after currency reform, the price was still fixed at 44 NKW/kg. This is against the market price of the rice which was around 25-30 NKW/kg at that time. Thus, the market price skyrocketed up to 100 NKW/kg, 120 NKW/kg, 500NKW/kg, and even to 1,400 NKW/kg around early March. This was the first reason why the wrong policy created confusions in the market.
Second, banning foreign currency exchange since Jan 1st, 2010 was another problem. North Korea doesn’t produce a lot of industrial products and mainly import them. In addition, the domestic currency was very unstable. The banning of foreign currency exchange was announced under these circumstances so the entire commercial circulation halted. What this means is prohibiting raw materials and other base products from being supplied. Eventually, many people died of hunger and the entire nation was put in crisis.
Third, although official exchange rate was set at 30 NKW per USD, the actual price in the market was evaluated at 98.35 NKW per USD. This caused the price of goods to skyrocket and the NK currency to fall. Because of this, those who had US dollars did not go to the bank to exchange money, but to the black market. Thus, the bank has had loss of a couple of million dollars everyday.”

[Politics]
Central Party Security Groups Dispatched to National Border Area to Confiscate Mobile Phones
Central Party Security Groups composed of national security guards were sent to the national border area, including Sinuiju of North Pyongan Province. This year’s inspection in Sinuiju was much stronger than that of previous years. This year’s main focus is illegal mobile phones. Mobile phones sold at state-run stores do not function to make calls to Pyongyang or China, therefore exempt from the inspection. Instead, those who possess phones that are capable of making calls to Pyongyang and China are being severely punished. In previous years, $300 to $500 dollars of bribe was enough to be let off, but this year, victims must pay fines and are banished. Such severe punishments are due to the worry that national security information would flow out. There have been some Chinese descendents turning themselves in at the intricate inspection that involved banishing not only potential spies but also merchants who contacted China through their mobile phones. Such actions are due to the notion that if one turns him or herself in, the fault would be erased and no fines would be collected. In neighborhood unit meetings, there have been advertisements encouraging people to turn themselves in.

[Society]
Conscription this Year, “Girls Taller than 155cm to be Drafted without Exception”
The Department of Military Mobilization begins conscription, targeting graduates of middle school (equivalent of 12th grade graduates) on April 15th. The Military Recruitment Division of the People’s Defense Ministry issued a command to “enlist more male recruits and to recruit females as well if there are not enough boys” to city and provincial military mobilization departments nationwide. The order also directs to conscribe those females taller than 155cm without exception, by giving strong ideological education to those who are not interested. The recruitment was extended to females because the number of people subject to enlistment is small in the first place. Children of railroad-related workers are allowed to work as railroad laborers instead of joining the army.

Fishermen Lament Being Regarded as Means of Earning Money, rather than Husbands
As life becomes tougher, fishermen from the east coast in North Hamgyong Province complain that they are disrespected by their peers since their families disrespect them. Kwanyong Kim, who works at Fisheries Enterprise in Chungjin City, North Hamgyong Province, said “It is an old story that I was respected as a husband or head of household, and now I am just an instrument to make money. It might sound preposterous but there is another story.” He then recounted a story. “A man came back from a month of fishing at sea and he gathered his family members together in order to drink and relax with them. One day, as the current became optimal for fishing, his wife carried her sleeping husband in a wagon to a wharf and boarded him on his ship. The man was unconscious, but soon became confused when he woke up at sea. This phenomenon has occurred in other countries as well. “For example, in Russia, Seokjoong Park (alias) was arrested by Russian guards for trespassing on the sea-border line. He said, “I was imprisoned in a trailer where I could not eat properly and even wash my face.” When Russia released those who had illegally crossed the border, the Security Department asked the man's family to pay the cost of fuel for the ship to transport him back to North Korea. His family and employer declined to pay the fees. As a result, the fisherman then lost will to live, or earn money for his family. Fortunately, the firm that employed him did pay for the fuel, but he was traumatized by the experience.

[Women/Children/Education]
North Hamgyong Province, Junior High School Moves to Hoeryong from Chungjin
The First Junior High School in Chungjin, North Hamgyong Province, has been closed down and Kim Ki-Song Junior High School in Hoeryong city will be turned into the new First Junior High School. The school closing and relocation is one of many strategies to make Hoeryong City, the hometown of Kim Jung-Suk, a better place. Because of the school closing, academically high ranked students and the children of officials have been transferring to Kim Ki-Song Junior High School since April 1. The provincial education department ordered Hoeryong City officials to take care of the students who have transferred from other cities and counties. Despite official support for the school closing, the officials considered the First Junior High School’s move to Hoeryong City to be a burden. As the children of provincial party and police officials have moved to the Hoeryong, the cost of their education must come out of the city party budget. On the other hand, the teachers of the First Junior High School are expecting their financial situation to improve. Since the incoming class is comprised of 70% high officials’ children and 30% children of wealthy families, the teachers are looking forward to steady support from their parents. Teachers, thinking of the extra money such parents could offer, are eager to begin teaching at the new junior high school. They consider the closing of the First Junior High School and the repurposing of the Kim Ki-Song Junior High School to be a stroke of good luck.

[Accidents]
Security Agent Murdered While Trying to Confiscate a Cell Phone in Hoeryong City
In Secheon-Dong, Hoeryong City, North Hamgyong Province, a worker at the local Grain Policy Enterprise has been arrested for the murder of a security agent who was trying to find illegal cell phone users. After an investigation, it came to light that the worker, Kim Kyung-chul, had begged the agent not to report his possession of a cell phone. Mr. Kim said that he had needed the phone to communicate with his brother in China. When the agent persisted in his threat to report Mr. Kim, the worker, knowing the punishment for possession of cell phone, killed the agent with a hatchet.
Three days after the murder, investigators looking into the disappearance of the agent found out that Mr. Kim was the last person to see him alive. Mr. Kim had already burned the body and hidden it in the sewage of the local railway company office. The city security department interrogated Mr. Kim and his wife, who denied the allegations and claimed that they had seen the agent leave their home. Eventually, after interrogating Mr. Kim and his wife, along with his younger brother, the city security department was able to get a confession for the murder from Mr. Kim.
A day after recovering the body, the employees at the City Party, police, and security departments attended a funeral ceremony paid for by the grain policy enterprise that had employed Mr. Kim. Along with Mr. Kim, his wife, and his brother, the security department also arrested his mother and three-year-old son. The family was sent to the “22nd Unit” labor detention center for killing the security agent. The City Party confiscated his house and property. Because this incident is the first homicide case of a security agent, it is rumored that not only Mr. Kim’s immediate family but both sides of his extended family will also be punished.
The City Security Department made a suggestion to Central Party and issued a formal resolution that it would crack down on possession of illegal cell phones in Hoeryong City. To this end, the Security Department launched a campaign in Hoeryong City to make people voluntarily report their possession of any cell phones between April 15th and the Day of the Sun (the birthday of Kim Il Sung).

[Investigative Report]
What is meant by “Every Price Must Be Converted at the Rate of 100:1.”
Recently, the North Korean government has formed a “100:1 Standing Committee” in an attempt to manipulate all the prices. Let’s try to understand the meaning of government’s directives saying, “Every price must be converted at the rate of 100:1.”

1. The problem with a fixed government price
The fixed prices established by the government for rice before the Arduous March was 8 jeon (0.08 NKW) per kg. The monthly salary of a typical laborer was about 100 NKW which was sufficient to buy one ton of rice. However, the price of rice after Arduous March increased to around 80 NKW per kg. The price of rice rose to the level of one month's salary, and the official price of 8 jeon was merely a nominal figure. Subsequently, food distribution and wages were discontinued. Individuals who were excluded from the government distribution system met their needs through peddling at the market and small patch farming. Rice sold in the market became a luxury item for ordinary residents.

2. The North Korean government attempted to narrow the gap between the official price and the market price through the 7.1 Economic Management Improvement measures in 2002. As the prices of commodities rose exponentially the government raised the average monthly salary of laborers from 100 to 2,500 NKW, a 25-fold increase, giving more purchasing power to the laborers. The unrealistic rice price of 8 jeon (0.08 NKW) was raised 550 times to 44 NKW which was about half the price of market price, to make it more realistic.

The level of salary adjustment was not even close to that of rice price adjustment, but the extra purchasing power obtained provided some market stability temporarily. However, the workers' increased purchasing power combined with the absence of an adequate supply of goods triggered inflation. The price of rice increased steadily, surpassing 4,000 NKW during the lean spring season in 2008, then fell back to 2,000 NKW level, which is about equal to one month's salary right before the currency exchange measure.

3. Attempts to make prices more realistic through currency regulations
The North Korean government carried out a currency revaluation at a 100:1 ratio. In contrast to the 7.1 Economic Management Improvement measures in 2002, the face value of monthly salaries was kept at 2,000 to 3,000 NKW and lowered all the prices to 1/100 level. With the circulation of the new currency, the North Korean government declared an officials price for rice at 44 jeon (0.44 NKW per kg). This is 1/100 (one percent) of the previous price of 44 NKW. The distribution price of rice for supporting a family is kept at 44 NKW as before. Although the face value is the same, supporting family members have to purchase food at a price that is 100 times more expensive.

4. New government prices are creating confusion in the market
The distribution price of rice was 44 NKW when the official government prices were announced, but merchants at the market were still applying the 100 to 1 ratio following the currency exchange ratio. The rice price prior to currency exchange was between 1,800 and 2,000 NKW, and the trading price in the market was between 19 and 20 NKW. The North Korean government issued directives saying, “Do not consider prices in terms of 100 to 1. Follow the new government-set prices.” However, because of delays in the public announcement of prices the trading prices at the market tend to follow the before currency exchange price of 1 to 100 level. As a result, residents ignored the government order because the government distribution price was more expensive than the market price.

5. New inflation, issuance of 100 to 1 directive
The currency exchange measure did not solve the imbalance between supply and demand and contained fundamental contradictions. The situation where the market price was lower than the distribution price did not last more than a few days. Prices skyrocketed and the foreign currency exchange rate also fluctuated. Farmers with money in their hand are holding on to grains in preparation of the spring lean season. Merchants in the market are waiting for prices to go up again. The distribution of food and wages promised by the government was soon suspended, and death by starvation caused by food shortages began spreading among the urban labor class.

The ongoing rise of prices and foreign currency will continue because there is no external supply and receipt of foreign aid is very unlikely. While the price of rice was set at 23 NKW on December 9 the value of new currency is dropping continuously, death by starvation is occurring throughout the country, and antagonism against government policy is strong in areas with a high concentration of laborers. The problem will get worse unless commodity prices are lowered by official means.

North Korean authorities had to create the 100 to 1 standing committee and dispatch enforcement agents throughout the country. The agents are responsible for limiting the prices of goods traded in the market within the set prices. The ceiling price for rice is 25 NKW per kg (as of February 1, 2010). This is the highest price among the various trading prices in the market before the currency exchange measure was announced. This is an attempt to embrace the market price prior to the currency exchange measure in order to stabilize the market and calm people’s anxiety, but it is a band-aid approach to solving the problem.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

North Korea Today No. 338 March 2010

[Politics]
Police Authorities Across the Country to Remain High Alert to Any Sign of Commotion
The Central Party ordered all police bureaus to stay alert against public unrest, particularly in the big cities. At the first sign of public unrest following the currency reform, the police were ordered to be on alert for 24 hours. As the living conditions worsen for residents and the number of death by starvation rises, distrust of the government is now at an all-time high. Safety Bureau is being extremely vigilant about any change that can be translated into symptom of violence.
War veterans in Sinuiju County in the North Pyongan Province are protesting to the City and Provincial Parties of hunger. In Danchun and Pyongsung, the war veterans continue to complain persistently, albeit peacefully, because the Party prohibits any demonstrations and other gatherings to deter any escalation of tension in society. In Soomoon Dong and Minpo Dong, which are considered areas of sever poverty, hunger keeps children from attending school. Instead, the children roam the streets looking for food. In Kangye, Wonsan, and Hamheung, the situation is so bad that people are worried that the streets will soon be full of dead bodies. As hunger and starvation stir up anger, police in those areas are staying extremely alert.

[Society]
Reduction in Bus Service from Chungjin to Hoeryong
After the currency redenomination negatively affected business, bus service between Chungjin and Hoeryong was also reduced. While the bus used to run six times a day, these days it runs only twice a day. Even with the reduced service, there are occasions when the bus sits idle for lack of passengers. The rising price of fuel and a lack of gasoline have also resulted in periodic disruptions in bus service. As the number of bus in service decreases to a large degree, the price of a bus ticket continues to rise. A bus ride that cost only 600 won in February costs 1,500 won starting on the first of March.

Lecture in Neighborhood Unit, Sinuiju: hoof-and-mouth Disease is Reported in S. Pyongan Province
Hoof-and-mouth disease has broken out in various areas of South Pyongan Province. Although it originally affected domestic animals, some people have showed symptoms of the disease. The Neighborhood Unit reported to residents that the disease came from foreign countries.

[Women/Children/Education]
Young Students in Sinuiju Mobilized to Plant a Field of Fruit Trees
Local middle school students in Sinuiju of Pyongan Province, have been ordered to cultivate a field of fruit trees at a nearby chicken meat packing plant. On March 19, 2009 young students were mobilized, without being fed lunch on a rainy day. They were directed to “dig a trench”, in other words to dig a hole 5 meters deep; however, the work was difficult because the ground was stony. Students have to pay 600 NK won for a roundtrip-bus fare in order to get the workplace and they can only take two lunch boxes. On the fourth day of working they were exhausted. Daily Labor(“일공노동”) is scheduled for 8 hours a day. It is too hard for adults so the children are not allowed to do it; therefore, young students are mobilized in the morning and return to their home after working for a short time in the afternoon. But this Daily Labor(“일공노동”) assigned to students has made them exhausted within a few days. Parents of working households were ordered to provide 200kg and those from supporting households to provide 250kg of gravel, which will be used to pave a road. If they can’t afford to do, they have to pay 4000-5000 NK Won, or 20 NK Won per kg. There is a second task of carrying out human manure. Each family has been assigned to carry out two tones of human manure. They have to pay money if they can’t meet their assigned target. Starving children and parents have protested against the imposition of the burdensome assignment.

Friday, April 2, 2010

North Korea Today No. 337 March 2010

[“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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[Hot Topics]
Business in Pyongsung Has Been Hit the Hardest Due to the Blocking of International Trade
Starvation in a Cosmetics Manufacturing Factory in Sinuiju
Order to "Only Import Rice" Received with Much Disagreement

[Food]
Number of Households Dying of Hunger in Chungjin Rapidly Increasing
Gimchaek Steel Mill Makes Food Distribution to Workers in March

[Economy]
Foreign Currency Rate Drops Temporarily Since the Second Week of March
Merchants at Soonam Market Challenge Market Control
Only Police Officers are Gained by Strict Control of the Market

[Politics]
Hoeryong, “Do not roam around unnecessarily after 7pm”
ChungJin, Helpless at the Continuous Occurrence of Murder Cases

[Society]
“Do Not Get food from Someone Else’s House”
The Poor Need Help, but Everyone is in the Same Situation

[Women/Children/Education]
Many Children Abandoned in front of Hamheung City Orphanage

[Accidents]
Two Pyongyang Residents Murdered at Wonsan Station

[Investigative Report]
Four Reasons Causing Deaths by Starvation in 2010

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[Hot Topics]
Business in Pyongsung Has Been Hit the Hardest Due to the Blocking of International Trade
After the ban of the foreign currency use was implemented across the country in January, business in Pyongsung has been hit the hardest due to the sharp falls in the amount of imports to Sinuiju. Those who maintained their livelihood after the closure of the Pyongsung market last June cannot do business anymore because they have nothing to sell. Pyongsung has been functioning as a wholesale market that supplies imports across the country. However, after the new ban, no products were available in Pyongsung, making the residents suffer from difficult livelihoods. Because Pyongsung did not manufacture its own products, it has been developed as a wholesale market in which the products from Sinuiju or Pyongyang are distributed across the country. The ban on foreign currency use and the rising prices of imports are exacerbating the situation, leading to an increase in starvation. One Pyongsung executive official estimated that a great number of people must have starved to death in Soonchun, Dukchun, and Pyongsung combined.

Starvation in a Cosmetics Manufacturing Factory in Sinuiju
The biggest cosmetics manufacturing factory in North Korea is located in Sinuiju, North Hamgyong Province, and has a great number of workers as such. The food distribution at the factory was not usually stable. However, the distribution was discontinued after the currency reform, which has resulted in starvation among the workers. The Neighborhood Unit asked the community to help those suffering with food shortage. However, the residents coldly responded to the request. They explicitly expressed their anger toward the head of the Unit by saying, “Even we have nothing to eat right now. How can we help others in these hard times?”

Order to "Only Import Rice" Received with Much Disagreement
Sinuiju customs authority and party officials are currently conducting an inspection. Due to the shortage of rice, the country has been instructed to ban imports of fruit and to only allow strategic materials for manufactured goods to be brought into the country. They implemented this measure to make food import a number one priority. The citizens are saying this order is “nonsense.” Kim Jae Kook (alias), a wholesale dealer from Pyongsung said, "We need other goods besides rice to keep the market open. If rice is only imported, it won't help the market." Cho Bong Il (alias) from Pyongyang also had a similar opinion. "(Trade) businesses are searching for rice in Dandong, China, but there is no hope. In the past, Chinese immigrants went to China and brought rice back on credit, but now they are not allowed to do this. No one wants to sell things on credit. We need other goods in the market so that people will bring out their rice. It’s difficult enough as it is to import any goods, so restricting the import to rice is ridiculous.”

[Food]
Number of Households Dying of Hunger in Chungjin Rapidly Increasing
Stricken by hunger, the number of households that cannot even manage to eat an ounce of soup is rapidly increasing in Chungjin City, North Hamgyong Province. Chungjin City estimated that since February, people have been dying of hunger in all the districts. Death tolls have reached highs of 20 a day and the number of households that do not have anything to eat continues to increase. In enterprises that employ 350 to 500 workers, 50 to 60 laborers on average are absent due to starvation. Despite the severity of the current food crisis and the significant impact it has on the operation of these enterprises, not enough measures are being taken on part of these businesses.

Gimchaek Steel Mill Makes Food Distribution to Workers in March
The Gimchaek Steel Mill in the North Hamgyong Province was finally able to make the food distribution for March. On the first two days of March, before Chairman Kim Jong-Il began his site visit, the rations were distributed over two days. The steel mill put in a lot of effort to distribute the rations. There was a significant amount of loss occurred in transporting food, but the mill was able to give the ration for the first and last ten days of the month to the laborers. However, the report that the rations were normally distributed was a false report. The only rations that were given out were lunches for laborers with physical work such as the steel mill workers. Other than soups prepared with about four to five pieces of pork, no other meals were distributed. Despite this, reports went out saying that normal rations of food were being given out, putting the laborers in low spirits. Currently, even with the rations for March having been distributed, at least seven to ten people per company are still unable to go to work.

[Economy]
Foreign Currency Rate Drops Temporarily Since the Second Week of March
The foreign currency rate has been fluctuating all the time these days, but recently it went down temporarily since the second week of March. In Pyongsung of South Pyongan Province, the rate was 1,630 won for 1 US dollar in the evening of March 11th; it went down to 1,450 won the next day, and went down even further to 1,400 won on 13th. Although the downtrend did not last as the rate went up to 1,550 won on that evening, the severe fluctuation, which went up to 1,650 won in the early March, is temporarily stopped. In addition, 1 yuan was dropped from 240 won to around 200 won.

Merchants at Soonam Market Challenge Market Control
Price regulations on market good have started to be enforced in Soonam Market in Chungjin, North Hamgyong Province in light of continued price instability. However, the merchants are showing greater resistance to the regulations. On March 11th and 12th, regulators cracked down on merchants selling rice at "very high" prices; however, they were met with anger where the merchants raised their voices protesting that rice was not supposed to be controlled. In response to this, the Safety Bureau took drastic measures in banning resistant merchants from selling their goods at all, effectively punishing merchants selling sugar, side dishes and other processed foods.

Only Police Officers Are Gained by Strict Control of the Market
The Soonam market in Chungjin was regulated on 11th and 12th. On 13th, an administrative officer picked up a megaphone in front of the market and warned that “people should enter the market only when it opens in the afternoon and the peddlers who are not allowed to use the sales booth cannot sell goods in the market”. On this day, 20 peddlers who were not supposed to sell goods inside of the market were caught as they spread goods and sold them around the market. After each is fined with 500 won, the regulated goods are supposed to be returned back according to the rules, but the police officers are pocketing some of them. On 14th, Joo Mi-Young (alias) was caught while she was peddling food, and approximately 40 kilograms of rice, 20 kilograms of glutinous rice, and 40 kilograms of crushed maize were confiscated. Later, she received them back and checked them to find out about 5 kilograms of both rice and glutinous rice were disappeared. She went to a police officer to ask about it, but only to be hurled vulgar abuses, such as “this OOOOO vixen dares to run amok here”. This type of case in which Ms. Joo had experienced occurs to 30-40 people per day on average, and if one includes peddlers who came from local regions, sometimes it occurs to more than 50 people. Once a violation is discovered upon inspection, a fine is imposed and a report is made, but if they receive 40 cases, they report about 20 cases only to the superior authority. Then they siphon off the fines and divide them among themselves. In such a way, the police officers are earning 5,000 to 10,000 won per day on average. If the siphoned commodities are added here, a daily earning of police officers is pretty substantial. People are just infuriated at this news.

[Politics]
Hoeryong, “Do not roam around unnecessarily after 7pm”
The Security Bureau of Hoeryong City, North Hamgyong Province announced residents through the heads of Neighborhood Unit to restrict outdoor activities after 7 pm in response to increasing crimes of robbery and murder. According to the Security Bureau’s announcement, robbers specializing in fraud from Chung-Jin infiltrated to the city, so residents should take precautions by refraining from roaming around and checking the doors. The Bureau official also emphasized that those who offer accommodation to non-resident relatives and strangers for money will be punished by being sent to the reeducation center.

ChungJin, Helpless at the Continuous Occurrence of Murder Cases
The Security Bureau of Chungjin, North Hamgyong is bogged down with the rapidly increasing robbery and murder cases on top of the extreme poverty rate. Around 9p.m. on March 4th, a murder occurred in Songpyung district. Myung-Chul Kim of Nam-Hyang Town, Po Hang District was discovered dead, beaten hard on the head. According to his family, Mr. Kim left home on his bike and the missing bicycle seems to indicate it has been stolen. Although the police officers of the Security Bureau of Songpyung District have issued warrants to catch the murderer and started investigation and interviewed ex-convicts in the area, there has been no progress. Furthermore, due to the inundation of murder cases, there are many cases that are left untouched. As they recognize lack of manpower as the cause of this problem, the Security Bureau of North Hamgyong is looking for solutions with which to increase the number of patrol officers per area as well as adding more patrol units.

[Society]
“Do Not Get food from Someone Else’s House”
Jeoung-hee Lee (alias) is a middle school teacher living in Soonchun, South Pyongan Province. Seeing that school attendance has been decreasing due to food shortages, she took a simple survey in her class, asking her students to raise their hands if they eat porridge at home for sustenance. Half of the class raised their hands. Lee said that she urged her students to never beg for food at someone else’s household during a time of crisis. She taught her students that it is now unscrupulous for one to even eat at a close friend’s house. Lee said “although it is meant to be a joke, there is a saying that men nowadays may drink liquor at their friend’s house, but not eat a grain,” and reflected on the direness of the food shortages.

The Poor Need Help, but Everyone is in the Same Situation
The heads of the neighborhood unit are having troubles as the national government ordered to help the poor. They complain "Everyone is on the same boat. Who can help whom? We take all the blame from people because we have to urge people to contribute to help the poor." Han Sun-wha (alias), the head of the neighborhood unit in Soonchun City, South Pyongan Province, said that she feels uncomfortable by the fact that she is in charge of collecting non-tax payment given that most households are poor. Regarding the situation of her neighbors, she comments as follows:

"There is one of the poorest families in my neighborhood whose head of the household died last night. He had starved for many days and died from hunger. Officers were shocked with how poor they were when they visited the family. The household is so poor that their daughter could not visit them after giving birth. She instead survived with boiled corn. At the village office morning meeting, the officer ordered to provide 80Kg of rice and some coal to the family. We also confronted the officer, 'We have nothing to give away. How could we manage to survive if we continue to help the poor? We'd better let them find the way to survive by themselves. We do not have enough food for ourselves. How could we help others?' Central party officials give orders to village office, and the village officer to the head of the neighborhood unit. However, the head of the unit cannot help but doing nothing because they have nothing. Those who died recently did not have any health problem. They just died from hunger. There is no way to help the poor as we are all in the same situation. The other day, we helped the poor by providing 5Kg of crushed maize, but they kept expecting more help later. It is like filling a bottomless jar. How could we keep helping others in this situation? I helped them even though I was in a bad situation as well. I felt bad when they asked us more help. I would rather quit the position as the head of the neighborhood unit."

[Women/Children/Education]
Many Children Abandoned in front of Hamheung City Orphanage
The orphanage of Hamheung City in South Hamgyong Province has seen a rise in the number of women who want to leave their child. The orphanage says that although they understand the mothers’ dire situation, due to the food shortage the institution cannot take care of the additional children, some of whom are infants or toddlers. The orphanage accepted seven infants in the last month already and the number of applicants continues to increase. The orphanage began to insist that mothers not leave their young children, saying “We cannot take infants.” Since starting the strict policy of refusing to accept young children, mothers have begun leaving their babies in front of the orphanage without entering the building. Between mid-February and early March, nine babies have been abandoned in this fashion. Older children are becoming kkotjebis, homeless young people who have no choice but to beg and try to live on their own. Beginning in January, the number of Kkotjebis near Chupyong Market began to increase. As of the end of March, there are around 30 such homeless children.

[Accidents]
Two Pyongyang Residents Murdered at Wonsan Station
On the night of February 26th, a man and a woman from Pyongyang were murdered in front of an outdoor restaurant at Wonsan Station in Kangwon Province. The man was killed immediately after being deeply stabbed with a knife and the woman died two hours after she had been rushed to the hospital. Investigation has shown that the victims were merchants who sold roll films and picture printing papers, and were likely to have been robbed of approximately three thousand dollars worth of merchandise. The local safety bureau is currently looking for eyewitnesses, and at the same time investigating people who had contact with the victims, thinking it might be possible for an acquaintance to have committed the crime. However, the case has yet to be solved.

[Investigative Report]
Four Reasons Causing Deaths by Starvation in 2010
North Korea is undergoing a difficult period this year with food shortages and a lack of resources, unstable prices caused by excessive inflation, and soaring crime rates, especially robbery and murders. The most troublesome issue is that people are dying from starvation even before the lean spring season begins. Why is this happening? This report aims to identify the reasons and summarize them in four major points.

1. Ban on small plot farming and trade
The first reason causing starvation among North Koreans is the continued ban on small land patch farming and peddling activities. Since the Arduous March, city workers managed to survive without a salary and a food distribution system by cultivating small land patches for private farming or conducting small scale peddling. As they were able to support themselves without government help, the government began confiscating private land and tried to restrict trade, citing the need to control workers who no longer went to their employment sites. In 2005, the government announced that it would start food distribution again, but in 2006 it confiscated small farm land patches and prohibited private six-month farming in 2007. The ban on private farming was not easy to enforce, but it continued throughout 2008 and 2009.

The ban on peddling and markets continued in the same manner. The government introduced an age restriction on peddlers in 2007 and expanded the ban on markets from last year, exemplified by the closure of the Pyongsung market. Moreover, the 150-day battle was extended into another 100-day battle, restricting the market and private farming by mobilizing people to serve in various labor stations. City dwellers survived by small private farming and trading, but all such activities were prohibited.

Households with some cash managed to survive, but poor households ran out of food as early as June and July 2009. On top of this, the currency reform exacerbated the situation, pushing the middle class and traders with capital into poverty. Everybody suffered from the situation, and nobody was selling food in the market. Food became scarcer, and death from starvation spread nationwide starting with the poorest households.

2. Farmers with cash withholding rice from the market
Second, cash was distributed to farmers, but there was still no food distribution to workers in cities. Farmers encountered great difficulties because of disastrous floods in 2006 and 2007. As a result, many farmers in rural areas died while others suffered from diseases and malnutrition in 2008.

By distributing 15,000 NK won per person to farmers, the government tried to raise their living standards. However, this had negative consequences in the rice market. Farmers used to sell in the market some of their food rations they received after the harvest to buy some necessities. This year, however, farmers did not have to sell their food in the market thanks to the cash they received after the currency reform. Now that they have free cash to buy items they need, there was no reason for them to sell scarce food. This explains why there is no food at all to be traded in the city. The cash distribution helped farmers who did not have money to buy necessities, but the consequence is the market imbalance that has hurt city workers disproportionately.

3. No fertilizer and discontinued foreign aid
The third reason is the discontinuance of foreign aid and a low agricultural yield caused by a lack of fertilizer and bad weather conditions. After the Arduous March, North Korea received hundreds of thousand tons of foreign rice and 300,000 to 400,000 tons of fertilizer from South Korea. If the fertilizer received from China and Russia is counted along with the supply the North government bought itself, the North had over 800,000 tons of fertilizer every year.

However, the newly inaugurated Lee Myung-bak administration in South Korea in 2008 suspended its fertilizer aid to the North, which greatly affected North Korea’s agriculture. The North was dependent on the South’s fertilizer aid, and now it could not fill the gap with its own fertilizer production. The North tried to distribute whatever it managed to collect from human manure and green scrap, but such supplies did not help much. Moreover, the cold spell last spring delayed the sowing season, and the summer drought culminated in a much lower yield than the 2008 level. Discontinued food aid from South Korea and the U.S. and a reduction in international food aid exacerbated the food supply.

4. The currency reform accelerated the rate of death by starvation
Finally, the recent currency reform can be seen as the direct cause of all of these problems. Even without the reform, widespread hunger and deaths from starvation was anticipated. The currency reform triggered starvation deaths earlier and contributed to its spread across the nation. It worsened serious problems so that there is no other way out of this situation unless a special measure is implemented.

Park Nam-gi, Minister of National Planning and Financial Affairs, advocated the currency reform following his analysis of national reports from all regions. He concluded that the country had sufficient food stock and ration materials for three years. The North’s official estimate of last year’s agricultural yield is four million tons. However, this was a flawed estimate because it was based on false reports in the first place. Officials in agriculture understand that the true yield of last year was much lower than the estimate.

The four points outlined above illustrate that the situation in North Korea is reaching a boiling point. The desperate food situation in North Korea is causing people to turn their backs on the government and threatens to become dangerous. Social disorder with increasing rates of murder, robbery, and collective protest is also on the rise. The North Korean authorities should reflect on their problems closely and find solutions quickly.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

North Korea Today No. 336 March 2010

The robber was a worker at the `July 7 Factory’ in Eunduk County. His wife fled to China two years ago, and left him with an 8-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son. His harsh livelihood drove him to commit the robbery in order to feed his children. While interrogating him, the Mangyangdong Police Substation severely beat and injured him. He, who already starved so long and thus weak, could not even move because of the brutal beating. The Mangyangdong Police Substation notified the Eunduk Police Station to take him over but only heard from the Station that because he can’t even sit by himself, they will take him once he recovers enough to walk on his own. He can’t even eat because of the severe beating. Even if he swallows some food, he throws it up and passes out two or three times per day. His condition is getting worse. Those who hear the news feel rather sympathetic towards him, saying that “He is out of luck. How unfortunate he is for trying to rob a police officer! Though the officer was robbed, the police should not have mistreated him that much. It is the police who have been committing so many robberies. Now they have almost killed another person who committed a robbery. The poor are getting more pitiful.”

[Society]
Excessive Non-tax Burden on Top of Already Difficult Daily Life
People are struggling and suffering greatly because of non-tax payment assignments imposed on them on top of the difficulties to make daily lives. The non-tax items and quantities differ according to the area and unit, but generally every family has to get 2 tons of human excrement soil, 42 kg of scrap iron, 250 kg of corn-sized gravels, 3 kg of scratch paper to earn foreign currency (monthly), and 500 NK Won in cash to buy pork to support the military for one year. If it is less than the assigned amount, each family has to pay in cash. Thus, all the residents feel great pressure. Some people collect more than assigned human excrement soil or small gravels and make money by selling them. Yet, there is little doubt that these assignments are too much for most of the residents. For example, many people in Pyongsung City, South Pyongan Province who were pressured with non-tax payment grumble about currency reform and lament their misfortune. Kim, Hwa-Sun (alias) in Pyungsung Dong said “Although there was a news report in media that the light manufacturing factories achieved the production goals of commodities in excess of the target, prices of the basic goods, such as tooth pastes, facial soaps, and laundry soaps, are much higher than the government-set prices. With already soaring rice price, most people have to endure these endless non-tax payments. After the currency revaluation the government could not regulate the price of these necessary goods and created confusion in the society. What are the newly set prices for? There have to be more products in the market first before carrying out the currency reform. With not enough amounts of the products, newly announced prices are meaningless. No one is willing to take the responsibility for the miseries created by the reform. Now, we would not trust them no matter what they say.”

[Women/Children/Education]
More Freshmen Dropping out from Cho Gunsil College of Education, Wonsan City
Recently, the number of freshmen dropout is rapidly increasing in Cho Gunsil College of Education in Wonsan City, Kangwon Province. The college began its winter break on December 5 due to H1N1 and resumed on January 10, but many students have not returned. It is because more parents felt burdened to support college attending children due to rapidly aggravated living condition after the currency exchange measure. The number of students who did not return or dropped out was 27 in January and 22 in February.

[Accidents]
Five to Six Robbery Cases Reported in Onchun County Daily
At Onchun County, South Pyongan Province, crime is growing rampant and public anxiety is spreading as people are suffering from weak law enforcement. There have been five to six cases of robbery on a daily basis during February in the Onchun jurisdiction. On February 26th, two households were each robbed of 100 dollars and 200 dollars in cash, a VCR, and a bike. The two families were known to be wealthy. According to an eyewitness, the burglars carried knives and entered the houses casually. They threatened the women and children, demanded money and household goods, and left as soon as they had acquired those items. A woman from one family was hospitalized after she fainted from the shock. Similar cases are happening daily, but the Onchun County Party and the police stations have not been able to find an adequate solution for this problem.

[Editorial]
Save People First with Humanitarian Food Aid
Public sentiment is becoming shaky. It is not easy to determine the extent from outside the country, but the situation appears to be worsening based upon news reports. The expression "I miss the days of the Great Leader" which circulated during the Arduous March is spreading openly now. There were times when people said they would not trust the government no matter what it says. Now, the explanation that the problem is "because of the US and South Korea's attempt to isolate our country" doesn't seem to convince anyone. Even those who know nothing about the economy are criticizing the act of closing the market without plans for supplying goods after the currency reform.

Declining public trust in government is something the North Korean government should be worried about. The reputation of being an "ideologically strong country" is crumbling. Last year's harvest was bad because of a drought, and the winter was freezing cold. Moreover, all the money saved up became worthless paper after the currency reform, and the new currency is unable to catch up with the inflation rate. Because prices are unstable merchants are not selling food in the market, so people are unable to buy food even with money in hand. Starving people are collapsing because they have nothing to eat and die silently. The central government realized the severity of the situation and is trying hard to resolve the food shortage by putting pressure on lower-level government units, but individuals who went to Dandong and Shenyang China are struggling as they are unable to secure even one ton of grain. The seriousness of the government's economic measures ended up pushing people who were already struggling over the cliff.

The North Korean government should take responsibility for the problems it caused. First of all, they should acknowledge the urgency of the current situation to the South Korean government and the international community and ask for humanitarian aid. The United Nations third guiding principle clearly states that "humanitarian assistance should be provided with the consent of the affected country and in principle on the basis of an appeal by the affected country."

Nobody will be aware of the current situation without an appeal from the North Korean government, and even when someone breaks the news it will be treated as a claim and not enough to draw real aid. The so-called "humanitarian aid fatigue" which attests to the sentiment that nothing has changed despite more than 10 years of humanitarian aid to North Korea is not something that should be dismissed easily. No matter how strong one makes in an appeal that people are dying of hunger, it is not taken seriously unless the actual situation is revealed and the appeal is heard. The typical reaction from potential donors is "North Korea always has a food shortage, right? They all figured out how to survive, so it won't progress into a mass famine." However, North Korea will be able to obtain humanitarian aid from the South Korean government and the international community if it complies with the international community.

The South Korean government should respond actively to the North Korean government's appeal for food aid. The South Korean government's prompt humanitarian assistance to the North during the H1N1 flu outbreak established a good example for aid policy to the North. The South Korean government needs to engage in a fact-finding mission to determine if the current food situation is an urgent humanitarian crisis and help North Korean citizens even though the North Korean government is unable to provide detailed explanations.

North Koreans are not residents of a foreign country. They are our own people whom we will be living with together one day. Rescuing them from death and starvation is an important responsibility of ours. We need to let them know that there are people who are concerned about them and want to help them when they are suffering enormously. Giving one ton of food right now rather than giving 100 tons of food in the future is one way to help North Koreans and win their hearts and minds. As such, the South Korean government should act decisively to provide humanitarian aid and give hope to those who will be our fellow citizens in the future. This is not the time to calculate political gains and losses. This is the time to save people.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

North Korea Today No. 335 March 2010

Staggering Increase of Starvation in Soonchun and Pyongsung

Death by starvation occurring in Soonchun and Pyongsung, South Pyongan Province seems to be reaching a serious level. City Party officials are describing it as a record number of starvations since the Arduous March. Although the exact figures are not available, it is reported that thousands of people have died of hunger already during one month period beginning in the middle of January.
An official at Pyongsung City Party deplored the humanitarian situation, saying that “Soon it will be spring lean season in March and April – a period of severe food shortage when no rice harvested in preceding year was left nor is barley ripe for harvest --, and no prospect of action addressing the starvation would make it much worse. According to Pyongsung City Party, the death toll goes highest in Soonchun City across the country with Dukchun and Pyongsung following in second and third, respectively.

Pyongyang, the Aged Dying of Hunger and Exposure to Cold
The starvation during winter hits Pyongyang as well. It is not uncommon to see the aged lying on the street in Sunkyo, Sadong, and Soonahn district exhausted from their search for food. Passers-by just literally “pass them by.” In addition, there have been cases of the aged found dead overnight due to cold whether since January. According to the doctors who examined the scene, they died of mal-nutrition out of hunger and exposure to freezing cold during the night. The death of the aged, first found in Moonsoo Street in Daedong River in the middle of January, is spreading out to Sunkyo and Soonan district. Several homeless people were found dead in the bench alongside the Daedong River. They were frozen to death dozing off in the bench and suffering from cold with thin clothes and from hunger with barely one meal a day. On the other hand, things are better in Joong and Pyongchun district where no starvation has yet to be reported. Pyongyang City has not distributed any food since the 10-days worth of distribution on the Lunar New Year’s day in the beginning of February.

More than 300 Die from and 1,000 Households at Risk of Starvation in Sinuiju
The death toll of starving citizens is rising in the uptown of Sinuiju as well as South Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province. Since the beginning of February, Haebangdong, Baeksadong, Namsodong in Sinuiju have all been struck by citizens dying from starvation. According to the statistics of the City Party, as of February 20th, about three hundred people have died while more than 1,000 households do not have food and are at the risk of starvation. A worker at the City Party commented, "Given that more than 300 people have died in Sinuiju, where no one died from starvation even during the March to the Hardship, the situation is irreversible. When the hardship period has yet to arrive and the situation is this dire, it only shows that our country is slowly facing the end. If the situation of our city is as serious as this, then I can't imagine how South Hamgyong, Jagang, and Kangwon Provinces are coping." There is no news of starvation in Shimdong headquarters resided by provincial leaders and low-ranking laborers. They are not yet in a situation where their lives are threatened by a lack of food. At night, the headquarters and Sinwondong are brightly lit by electricity, while Hebangdong, Baeksadong, and Geunhwadong are dark; there is a stark difference in living conditions in these two areas. Without food, the residents of Sinuiju are spending longer winter nights, suffering from cold weather and starvation. A leader from the North Pyongan Province lamented, "Like Sinuiju, there is not a single area [in North Pyongan Province] unaffected by starvation."

[Food]
Rice Price in Chungjin Soars to 800 NK Won; Exchange Rate as of March 2nd is 1 USD to 1,600 NK Won
The price of rice has risen to 800 won in Chungjin, North Hamgyong Province. On January 10th, the price was 60 won; on 13th, it had tripled to 180 and kept rising to 240, then 280, 350, 500 and 650 won. In the end, it peaked at 1,100 won. In February, the price dropped slightly to 580 won, then continued to lower to 470 won, 450 won, and 400 won. The drop in price coincided with the resumption of market operations. As of March 2nd, the situation is still unstable and the price has risen once again to 800 won.
Along with price of a basic commodity like rice, the foreign currency exchange rate is also unstable. As economic confusion continues, residents are using only foreign currencies, rather than the newly redenominated North Korean won. Lack of confidence in the NKW has led to inflation and unpredictable fluctuations in the exchange rate. As of March 2nd, 1 USD was worth 1,600 won and 1 Chinese yuan was worth 250 won. Among the residents who prefer to use yuan as their currency of exchange, there is a rumor that the value may go up to 350 won. If the value of the foreign currency increases, the price of food and other necessities will also increase.

Sungjin Steel Mill in Gimchaek Distributes Twice as Many Rations by Splitting One Portion of Grounded Corncob Meal into Two
The period between January 5th and February 24th of this year has become known as a period of intense hardship for the workers at the Sungjin Steel Mill in Gimchaek City, North Hamgyong Province. Thirty-eight mill laborers died of hunger and more than 140 people were unable to go to work because they lacked anything to eat. As the laborers were starving to death, Sungjin Steel Mill increased the production of steel in order to trade the output for additional rations. However, since foreign trade had already come to a halt, mill authorities were not able to sell any steel to Chinese buyers and could not buy any additional food. From January 20th to 25th, the cafeteria provided corn noodles once or twice a day. Starting in February, it provided two meals a day by splitting 250 grams of grounded corncob meal into two portions. As the food situation at the steel mill has worsened, it has chosen to distribute rations 2-3 times a day by dividing one ration into 2-3 portions, preferring to hand out multiple meals no matter how small.

[Economy]
Laborers in Kang-gye City Engage in Collective Absenteeism in Protest Saying, “Are you telling us to die?”
An official of Jagang Provincial Party says Kang-gye city is no different from hell. Laborers there are forced to show up at work every day despite no provision. It is due to the pressure that the Gang-gye laborers need to set an example as the Central Party instigate people by saying they need to learn from ‘Gang-gye Spirit.’ However, faced with the extreme food shortage after the currency exchange measure, the laborers are expressing grievances explicitly saying, “We need to eat thin porridge at least so that we can show up at the factory,” and questioning “Are you telling us to live or to die?” Some laborers take collective action in protest by refusing to show up at work saying, “It’s no different whether I am beaten to death at police station for absence without notice or I starve to death, so I’ll just hold out to the last.” Not only in Jagang Province, but in other areas as well, public sentiment is worsening. Provincial level officials say publicly, “To resolve the current situation, there’s no other option than reaching out for help from China.”

Laborers in Kang-gye Burglarized a Granary
Inchul Park, a laborer at a foreign currency business in Kangkye, Jagang Province, and his family could not eat for several days. He was bedridden with a swollen body, which prevented him from even going outside. He had enough to live on because he was working for a foreign currency business. However, Park was faced with a food shortage problem for the first time when international trade was hit hard after the currency exchange reform. If he was going to die of hunger, Park decided he would do whatever he wanted to do. He thus conspired with several of his colleagues who were also suffering from food shortage, burglarized the granary managed by their foreign currency business, and shared the grains between them. However, they were all arrested the next day. The incident was reported to the Central Party, which sent three investigators. Although the burglary was not a small incident, it was obvious why it occurred. It happened because the laborers, who could not eat for several days, were looking for something to eat. The investigators also indicated that they fully understood the laborers’ circumstances. However, in order to maintain social order and show the dignity of law to residents, the laborers, including Park, were sentenced to death. Park was rather dignified in his bearing by saying, “What an indifferent world! The officials do not do anything for laborers who come to work every day without getting food rations and salaries, and who even die on lathe beds. They endlessly criticize laborers for their poor ideologies and lack of revolutionary ideas. However, the officials do not come up with any ideas to help laborers. Dead or alive, laborers are miserable human beings! But I will die a ghost with a full stomach.”

[Politics]
Heungnam Police Arrests College Students for Distributing Information on Manufacturing Illicit Drugs
On February 27th, the Heungnam City police, (located in South Hamgyong Province), arrested three third-year pharmacy college students for selling detailed descriptions on how to manufacture ‘ice’ (amphetamine). It is said that the instructions were so well written that an average person with no special knowledge of drugs could easily follow them, meaning their street value was as high as 50,000 NKW per copy. Thus far, more than 3,000 copies have been sold within South Hamgyong Province, as well as in Chungjin, South Pyongan Province, Pyongsung, and Soonchun. One Safety Bureau worker said, "This was a very malicious crime. Innocent people with no knowledge of drugs' evils could pick up this book and become curious about drugs." The students are likely to receive serious punishment.

[Society]
Pyongyang First Department Store, Accident Occurred as People Flocked to Buy Goods at Government-Set Price
Pyongyang First Department Store is selling limited quantities of detergent, tobacco, sweets and other goods at government-set prices. As the residents of Pyongyang can’t afford the skyrocketing prices in the market, they flock to Pyongyang First Department Store and the risk of accident is increasing. According to the rules, people are supposed to use a ticket to buy goods on the designated date specified on the ticket, but the quantities of goods are in short supply so customers were asked to come back in later dates. This created a chaotic situation where a large number of people came to the store at once regardless of the designated date. As a result, one person died in an accident caused by the crowd last January. When a large number of people were waiting in line, someone fell down because of carelessness and people behind fell down in chain reaction and a woman at the very end was crushed under them. She died at the scene and several others were injured and transferred to hospital.

People still Flock to Store Despite the Notice of “Department stores to be closed until further notice.”
On January 26, in major cities such as Pyongyang and Sinuiju, announcements were made through the Third Broadcasting stations that department stores in the cities will be closed for a while, so people should not knock on the door or wait in line. The district administrative offices tried to inform residents of this massage as well, but it didn’t work because markets were not allowed to open and every store was running out of goods at that time. Therefore, despite the notice that most state-run stores and foreign currency stores would be closed, costumers knocked the door from morning till night and some even broke the window. As people continuously flocked to the closed stores, guards had to be placed at the stores throughout the day and night.

[Women/Children/Education]
Homeless Children Gather at Chungjin Station and Soonam Market
Many inhabitants of Chungjin, North Hamgyong Province have been pushed onto the streets after having sold their homes. The younger population has been greatly impacted by this and there are children living in train stations with their families, or with other orphans who have been left behind by desperate parents. At waiting rooms of Chung-Jin Station, there are more than ten "families" of homeless children with numbers continuously rising. They have been crowding into these waiting rooms due to the cold weather, crouching in corners, laying or covering themselves in plastic, but are driven away by station officers. After railroad stations, the next popular place for the homeless is Soonam Market. Although the market has lost much of its vibrancy as a market place, it is one of the few places where food is present. So, many homeless people gather in this market. They travel in small groups and roam around Soonam Market during the day and camp around bonfires in corners of dumping grounds in efforts to survive daily.

[Accidents]
Pyongyang Blackout Causes Traffic Chaos
On January 8, much of Pyongyang City experienced traffic paralysis due to a citywide blackout causing much confusion in the streets. The buses, subway system, and the trolleys stopped running as early as 10 o'clock in the morning. In the case of the subway system, some cars stopped midway between stations, confining passengers for more than 2 hours. Initially unable to move an inch, only under the assistance of railway workers could the passengers safely escape along the railway and out of the tunnels. Despite all the confusion, some said that the subway cars were warmer than their homes so it was better to stay in the cars. While the railway workers wondered about the possible causes for the blackout, the people of Pyongyang, however, were questioning whether “disloyal peopley had caused the trouble".

Monday, March 15, 2010

North Korea Today No. 334 March 2010

[Hot Topics]
Sinuiju City Party Urges "Let's help the poor," but Residents Remain Indifferent
Residents of Baeksa-dong in Sinuiju City Fights with the Head of the Neighborhood Unit
Funeral Cars Enter Chung-Jin Cemetery Daily

[Food]
The Urban Poor, Pushed to the Level of Eating Corn Noodles Flavored only by Salt

[Economy]
Gimchaek Steel Mill Loses Corn Supply Received from Hoeryong

[Politics]
National Security Agency, Prevention of Defectors is the Top Priority

[Society]
Soldiers’ Malnutrition is Serious Enough to Affect Military Training
Son Returns from Military Service Looking Like a Walking Corpse, Ill with Tuberculosis and Malnutrition
Parents Are Summoned by a Troop to Find Out Their Son Is Dead

[Women/Children/Education]
The Number of Kindergarten Children Has Decreased Each Year in North Hamgyong Province
Maternity Ward Rarely Used in Hoeryong for its Worn-out Facility and High Costs
Harsh Living Condition Poses Difficulties with Post Delivery Care

[Accidents]
Suicide at Kim Jung-Suk Historic Site
Leading Secretary of Kangwon Province Died in a Car Accident Heading to a Meeting in Pyongyang Last Year

_________________________________________________________
[Hot Topics]
Sinuiju City Party Urges "Let's help the poor," but Residents Remain Indifferent
The farming management commission of Sinuiju City in the North Pyongan Province held an emergency meeting to prevent mass death from starvation and distributed 10 kg of grain to the poorest households. However, more people are dying due to starvation. The City Party and the People’s assembly held meetings at each neighborhood units and stressed, “It is time to show our public moral and help our poor neighbors voluntarily.” However, the residents were indifferent to the campaign for voluntary help. The residents complained, saying, “Who can we help when we are barely surviving?” Other than a few residents who called the campaign crazy, rest of the residents stayed quiet during the meeting.

With the residents refusing to voluntarily help the poor, the City Party ordered the heads of the Neighborhood Units to collect 2kg of rice from each household. The heads of the Neighborhood Units began collecting rice next day; however, only two or three out of 40 households contributed. The heads of the neighborhood units even begged them to contribute even several hundred grams, but the residents remained indifferent.

Residents of Baeksa-dong in Sinuiju City Fights with the Head of the Neighborhood Unit
The heads of the neighborhood units run into conflict with the residents as they attempt to collect grain from each household. Park Hye-Ran (alias) who lives in Baeksa-dong in Sinuiju City yelled at the head of the Neighborhood Unit, "We didn’t get anything from you. Why do you keep trying to take what we have? We are also having a hard time surviving!” She said “If you still want something from us, just take this.” And put a trashcan on his head. The head of the neighborhood units got angry at her, "What can I do? I’m only carrying out the orders of the high officials. Do you think I am taking your grain for myself?" He ended up getting into a physical altercation with Mrs. Park. As people stopped the fight, Mrs. Park threatened, “If you show up at my house again, you better be prepared to die!”

Funeral Cars Enter Chung-Jin Cemetery Daily
In North Hamgyong, Chung-Jin City, within the area of Chung-Ahm, there is a graveyard known as Gu-Juk town. Before the currency exchange announcement was made, one corpse arrived every three to four days for burial. As food costs rose and the number of starving citizens skyrocketed, there has been an increase in the number of deaths because of malnutrition and illness. The number of households that visited the Gu-Juk cemetery from January 7 to 27 this year averaged from four to six households. Currently, at least two to three cars enter the graveyard daily. This indicates an increase in the number of deaths. Sang-Jo Kim (alias) said that the biggest reason for the higher number of deaths is starvation and “the inability of the sick to obtain cures caused much of the deaths. Hospital patients could not use any drugs because the pharmacists would not sell them.” He expressed frustration with the way the market was managed.

[Food]
The Urban Poor, Pushed to the Level of Eating Corn Noodles Flavored only by Salt
The level of food that poor urban residents consume is deplorable. Most add condiments such as salt and soy sauce to add flavor to an otherwise flavorless soup of corn noodles. Those who can afford kimchi are much better off. Others who can manage to eat bits of corn or vegetables in the soup are in much better states. Sung-Hee Lim (alias) expressed the sorrow and difficulty of getting food. “Noodles such as udon become thin gruel in water. They are digested quickly, and we feel hungry after a moment. This is why corn noodles are more suitable, but it is not easy to gain hold of bits of corn noodles,” he said. The residents are in urgent need of a greater food supply.

[Economy]
Gimchaek Steel Mill Loses Corn Supply Received from Hoeryong
The Gimchaek Steel Mill Association of Chung-Jin City, North Hamgyong is facing problems with its initial plans to sell steel to China and receive corn in return. The association exchanged fertilizer and plastic wrappers received from China with Hoeryong City to receive corn in return. Since February 20, the corn that was to be delivered to Gimchaek Steel Mill was piled at Hoeryong station. However, the plan was delayed as the necessary vehicles could not be properly assembled, and the crops had to wait until February 25. The farm guards secretly sold the corn to traders. The amount of corn returned by the police was over four tons, and about 300 to 600 kg was taken per day. Some farm workers were caught while unlawfully trading the crops for necessary farm items during the delivery to the station, and the amount was as large as three tons. With the decrease in the amount of corn delivered to Gimchaek Steel Mill, crop distribution to each laborer will also be decreased.

[Politics]
National Security Agency, Prevention of Defectors is the Top Priority
This year, the National Security Agency decided to strengthen the crackdown of defectors by making it a top priority after many incidents of people fleeing abroad due to domestic economic difficulties. Accordingly, the security agencies near the national border areas in North Hamgyong, Ryanggang, and North Pyongan Provinces are monitoring the families of defectors. First, they check the financial status of the family of a defector and investigate the source of money if they exchange foreign currency, seem to have too much money considering their income and expenses, and summon them to check if they purchase something at the market. The family members suspected of maintaining connection with the defectors are followed around, and stopped and searched their bag or luggage without a probable cause, which places them under tight surveillance even in the absence of evidence.

The People’s Safety Agency is monitoring the Chinese people residing in North Korea. They ordered the police stations in the national border regions to check if they have received money from the defectors. Monitoring of phone calls is done 24 hours a day by deploying call detecting devices around the town or near the border areas where phone calls can be made. Those who stay outside late at night are stopped and frisked. The family or relatives of defectors under suspicion are being put on the blacklist and followed, or being stopped and searched when they are about to enter their house. In the mean time, those who get caught while carrying a mobile phone become subject to severe physical punishment to make examples out of them.

[Society]
Soldiers’ Malnutrition is Serious Enough to Affect Military Training
With the exception of special branches of the military, the malnutrition problem among the regular soldiers is very serious. In the case of artillery training, solders can’t even load the 10kg shell properly to the cannon because lethargic soldiers are unable to lift cannon shells. The morale of soldiers in an army base in Kangwon Province fell to the bottom because numerous soldiers in each company became weaklings. Each military base is taking the measures of selecting the soldiers in a serious condition and let them receive medical treatment at a military hospital. However, that is not sufficient to improve the malnutrition problem. The soldiers in the military hospital who can’t even move around on their own are being sent home. Currently, the officers are receiving food distribution, but their families did not receive distribution in January and February.

Son Returns from Military Service Looking Like a Walking Corpse, Ill with Tuberculosis and Malnutrition
Huh Yong Sook (alias) separated from her husband in her 30's and raised Kim Kwang Hyuk (alias), her only son, alone in Hamju County of South Hamgyong Province. She managed a photo shop and proudly raised Kim before sending him off to serve in the military three years ago. Worried about her son, Huh even snuck the escorting officer a few extra bucks to ensure her son's well-being. During Kim's servitude, he sent Huh many letters saying he was doing just fine. In her reply, Huh asked Kim to send her some photos of him in his uniform, but she was only sent a picture during his trainee days and nothing else. Then this February, Huh almost fainted upon seeing her son's corpse-like appearance; he was so haggard and thin that he looked as if he was about to collapse in a moment's notice and his own mother could not even recognize him. According to the officer in his base, Kim was diagnosed with tuberculosis last year and had been receiving treatment in the unit ward. However, due to his worsening conditions, he was unable to fulfill his military duties and had to be sent home. Huh could not believe this news, as her son never got sick, let alone catch a cold, and now was on his death bed with tuberculosis: "If it's been a year since he was diagnosed with this disease, shouldn't they have contacted his family as soon as possible? How can I bring him back to health at this stage of his sickness?," cried Huh holding onto the officer. In response, the officer said, "We cannot send home every soldier who gets sick. If so, it will only shake up the men and disturb the discipline process. Thus, the superiors do not allow such departures." The main cause of the illness is attributed to the lack of food for the soldiers after difficult training. Due to malnutrition and weakening of the body, the men are more prone to diseases. Huh's neighbors were sympathetic and shed tears upon seeing Kim, for they had known them for awhile and had a hard time finding words of comfort. As an attempt to help Kim improve his health, the neighbors brought over valuable food that they rarely get a chance to eat themselves such as eggs, fish, soymilk, and other nutritious foods. Kim's health has worsened to the point where he can barely summon the strength to move his fingers and thus have a doctor doing house calls. With medication and nutrients, his life can be extended, but due to his weakening body and worsening disease, it is difficult for the doctors to determine his fate.

Parents Are Summoned by a Troop to Find Out Their Son Is Dead
Baek Heung-Su (alias) and his wife, who live in Jungju City of North Pyongan Province, have a son and a daughter, and the son had finished the middle school (equivalent of high school in South Korea) and joined the army last year. Mr. Baek, the householder, worked in a woodworking unit for more than 25 years as a carpenter, and his wife Han supported the livelihood by raising livestock and doing farming at home. They devoted themselves to take care of their children and were living happily despite the hard living environment. In the middle of this February, however, they received a telegraph from their son’s troop to come quickly. The reason was not stated; they were just asked to come. The parents were simply excited at the thought of seeing their son and hurried the preparation. They visited the market diligently and prepared things like their son’s favorite foods, medicines, underclothes and socks. The neighbors who were close in the village also heartily donated some money to buy some snacks. However, the parents returned from the military camp only after a week, being in a state of shock. The parents were too dumbfounded to say anything when the neighbors asked them what had happened. They were barely able to say that the son was killed in an accident when he went to the mountain during the winter training as he hit his head by a log that fell from the opposite side while he was sawing logs. Yet, the most absurd thing is that the troop sent the news to the family after a month after their son’s death. The parents said that when they went to the military camp, the funeral was already finished and they were only able to receive their son’s belongings. They brought up their only son like a precious treasure despite their hard living environment and sent him to the army. They found themselves lost for words when their son, whom they believed that he was doing well in the army, is dead as a result of an unbelievable and absurd accident. After this news spread, the parents in the neighborhood who have a son express concerns, feeling as if it were their own accident. All they can do is to wish sincerely that their own son would come back safe and alive.

[Women/Children/Education]
The Number of Kindergarten Children Has Decreased Each Year in North Hamgyong Province
In North Hamgyong Province, population size has decreased since 2001. When data of children before the school age in Kindergartens in Chungjin, Hoeryong, and Musan were collected, the number of children has been decreasing obviously. The standard number of kindergarten children per teacher the Education Department has set is about 38. The department, however, should reduce the number of teachers as the number of children is decreasing. Although the government encourages parents to have lots of children, people are struggling to survive that they would not have more than one child. In response to this situation, the government ordered offices of corresponding areas to distribute provisions normally and take a special care of the family having more than 3 children, but this project is not executed well. Since the Arduous March till now, people have been dying for starvation and hardly bearing children, and so it is unclear to what extent the population size would decrease. After the recent currency exchange, clearly more parents do not send their children who need education to kindergarten. The parents claim that they can hardly feed or buy clothes for their children, and then how they can even make things better by sending children to kindergarten. Since people prioritize eating to strive as life becomes harsher, the quality of education is relatively reduced. Children who should learn writing, singing, dancing and playing with friends are now living every day by selling goods next to their mother in market or doing chores.

Maternity Ward Rarely Used in Hoeryong for its Worn-out Facility and High Costs
Women in Hoeryong bearing children can use maternities ward service provided by the Central Party for the reason that Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province is hometown of Kim Jong-Sook. The gynecology service is supposed to take care of checkup, delivery, and post-maternity care for free, but the maternity ward, despite its large scale, is worn-out and equipments are outdated. Free treatment is only an empty word, but patients should pay all fees by themselves. Rooms in hospitals are freezing because the heating system is not working properly. Families of patients bring several quilts from home, covering their whole body to stand the cold. However, families of high officials or the rich are secretly provided high quality medical care, which are supplied by the party, but normal people should pay high price to get medicine or treatment. As a result, people of Hoeryong are reluctant to use hospitals. Women are giving birth to children at home and recuperate at home as well. It is safer to deliver children in hospital, but that is too burdensome for the mothers. The majority of women have to earn money and at the same time, take care of households. Because men should work in factories every day even though they cannot get paid, the only things they could do are caring for children and doing house chores.

Harsh Living Condition Poses Difficulties with Post Delivery Care
Jung In-soon (32 yrs old) lives near Kim Jung-sook College of Education in Hoeryong City with her husband and mother-in-law and makes living by selling bean sprouts and bean curd. Her husband stays at home being dejected after spending 6 months in labor discipline center for absences from work without notice. Her mother-in-law excretes urine and stool lying down due to stroke. When there was nothing to eat during her pregnancy, Mrs. Jung ate a mix of dried radish leaves and residues from making bean curd that were simmered and brewed for 2 days. The residues from brewing are poisonous, so when not simmered properly, it has a side effect of body swell, which happened to Mrs. Jung several times. Mrs. Jung has made the ends meet by making and selling bean curd early in the morning every day. Even later in her pregnancy, she walked for 3 hours to gather firewood and carry them on her back. Currently she sells bean sprouts although she has not been eating well and recovered from childbirth yet. Even if she sells bean sprouts and bean curd, all she can provide for the family is porridge from a mix of bean curd dregs and powdered corncob and bean sprouts with salt for side dish. Since Mrs. Jung is not fed well, she does not produce enough break milk and her child whines all day due to hunger. She has to spare some liquid extracted from making bean curd and feed the baby with it little by little. Even worse, tap water is not provided sufficiently so she draws water from a river. Currently the river is frozen so she breaks the ice and draws water from the hole. Not knowing when the tap water will be available, she draws and secures water using all the water containers she can obtain. Rubbing the dry skin of her face with her chapped and coarse hands, Mrs. Jung however showed a faint smile saying that she needs to survive by any means for the sake of the baby.

[Accidents]
Suicide at Kim Jung-Suk Historic Site
On February 24 there was a suicide at Kim Jung-Suk historic site in Osanduk-Dong, Hoeryong City, South Hamgyong Province. The victim was Dae-Han Kim, who was a laborer in a factory making iron supplies. After his wife’s business went bankrupt and the family debt increased, Kim’s family lost their house and was evicted in August. His wife left him soon after, and he lived with a relative. In the fall, he started gathering grains in the farm or private field where the harvest was already complete. After the currency measure announcement, his relatives had a hard time living by themselves, and he had to leave the house. Since January, he stayed in the staff lounge of his workplace where he suffered from severe weather without heating. In February, he suffered from a cold for more than 10 days and eventually went up to the hill near the Kim Jung-Suk historic site and hanged himself from a white apricot tree. Osanduk-Dong is a historic place with a statue of Kim Jung-Suk and is sparsely populated. The following morning at 11:20 a.m., a ranger found Kim dead and reported it to the police substation. The police officer checked Kim’s residence and then informed his workplace. The factory did not hold a funeral. He was laid in a coffin and buried right away. Neighbors who were told the news are whispering that Kim killed himself filled with complaints about politics because the suicide happened at a historic place.

Leading Secretary of Kangwon Province Died in a Car Accident Heading to a Meeting in Pyongyang Last Year
Lee Chul-bong, the leading secretary of Kangwon Province, died in a car accident heading to Pyongyang at the age of 73. Lee was going to Pyongyang to attend a welcome meeting for laborers of the Sungjin Iron Works United Enterprise when his car lost control on the snowy road causing an accident on December 25. He held several posts during his career. He was head of the social security department of Jungmoowon (the highest level public administration institution) in 1984, head of the urban management department in 1989, general manager of politics in the national railroad administration of the cabinet from 1999 to 2005, and leading secretary of Kangwon Province in October 2006. He served as a congressman in the 8th to 12th terms in the Supreme People’s Assembly from 1986 to last March. Chosun Joongang TV reported his death on December 26.