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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

North Korea Today No. 350 July 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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Relatives of Park Nam-Ki Transferred to the 22nd Detention Center in Hoeryong
Price of Salt more than 8 Times Higher for Households in the 16th Hwasung Detention Center
Kkotjebis are Gathering Again at Shinsungchun Station
Kkotjebis at Shinsungchun Murdered a Female Vendor for her Knapsack

[Editorial]
North Korea Should Abolish Its Public Execution Practices
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Relatives of Park Nam-Ki Transferred to the 22nd Detention Center in Hoeryong
On June 14th, relatives of Park Nam-Ki, former Minister of National Planning and Financial Affairs, who was executed after taking blame for the currency exchange debacle last year, and relatives of other relevant officials – a total of 34 households – were all transferred to the 22nd detention center within the Hoeryong Unit under the instruction of the 3rd office of the National Security Agency. They were allowed to carry simple luggage such as bedding and toiletries under the control of the People’s Safety Agency, but that has changed since they were transferred to the detention center. A cadre of the Safety Bureau reported that “all of them, including the sick, were transported in prisoner transportation vans (with roofs) under the pretext of attending an evening meeting.” He also added that “they were transported discretely in the middle of the night so as not to provoke international outcry regarding North Korea’s violations of human rights.” The 22nd detention center is located in Hoeryong city; 8 prisoner transportation vans and 3 fully armed military trucks were used for the transportation at issue.

Price of Salt more than 8 Times Higher for Households in the 16th Hwasung Detention Center
Rules under the aegis of the 16th unit Safety Agency of Hwasung County of North Hamgyong Province are different from those under the control of the National Security Agency. Inmates are mainly offenders who committed economic crime or relatives of fugitives who have fled to South Korea. Although quarantined, they could watch television and engage in farm work for pay. Households that are able to work make their living off of the earnings, but families that are not able to work mainly eat porridge. Last May and June, they suffered because there was a lack of basic foods such as soy sauce, soybean paste, and salt. Families in quarantine cannot go out and obtain salt. Taking advantage of this situation, wives of the detention center officials would acquire salt from markets outside and sell them to the detained families at a much higher price. Shin, Myong-hee (alias), a family member of a detention center official said that she buys salt at 70 won per kg and sells 1 kg for 3 kg of corn to the families at the detention center, which earns more than eight-fold profit.

Kkotjebis are Gathering Again at Shinsungchun Station
Many travelers gather at Shinsungchun Station at Sungchun County in South Pyongan Province because of its proximity to a triangular junction extending over the east, south, and north. Because of the large number of travelers, many kkotjebis (wandering homeless) from different regions flock to the station and stay there permanently. Despite the fact that poor business conditions this year led to a substantial decline in the number of train passengers, the number of kkotjebis continues to increase.

The majority of kkotjebis are children, but kkotjebis over 40 years old have been seen more frequently this year. The number of kkotjebis belonging to the same family is increasing. Usually, kkotjebis travel in groups of 20 people. In the Shinsungchun Station area, three or four groups of kkotjebis are bunched together. The 3-4 member kkotjebi family units often move independently from the large groups. The age of kkotjebis ranges from 6 or 7 year-old children to adults in their late 50s. With the increase in the number of kkotjebis, the crimes rate in the station area is rising.

Kkotjebis at Shinsungchun Murdered a Female Vendor for her Knapsack
On the evening of the June 16th, a murder occurred in a neighborhood near the Shinsungchun Station. A background check revealed that the victim was a 31-year-old woman who lived in Kwail in Kwail County. She was murdered while traveling on a business trip. The authorities investigating the incident conducted overnight patrols to catch the suspects. They arrested three adult male kkotjebis based on tip offs.

The kkotjebis confessed to the murder soon after their capture. The detainees stated that they followed and attacked the victim when she was looking for an inn, carrying a heavy knapsack on her back. According to their statement, there were a large number of shoes in the knapsack including 25 pairs of Kkachi Shoes (까치신발) made in Sinuiju and 30 pairs of male sneakers and 50 pieces of “spring-scent” facial soaps. The kkotjebis dumped the body in a nearby public restroom and fled with her knapsack, a watch, and cash amounting to 230,000 NK Won.

After this incident, the Safety Bureau in South Pyongan Province ordered the arrest of all kkotjebi staying in Shinsungchun. The majority of kkotjebis immediately left the station upon learning this news. About 12 kkotjebis who were arrested were still in detention at the train station police department as of late June 2010. New kkotjebis are expected to gather again at the station when the latest crackdown dies down, because the nearby market and the train station are the only places where kkotjebis can get food.

[Editorial]
North Korea Should Abolish Its Public Execution Practices
It is reported that the North Korean authorities have publicly executed Park Nam-ki, the former Director of Planning in the Financial Department of the Central Party, along with 13 others, for their failure in the currency reform effort. Even worse, his family and relatives up to seventh degree of kinship were supposedly rounded up and sent off to forced labor camps for political prisoners. Park's public execution was witnessed by mid-level officials in Pyongyang, Department of Production under the Cabinet, and other director or higher level officials. Park's list of offenses covered nine separate charges, including having filed a false report stating, "The underlying potential of the nation's economy has strengthened, with 3 years worth of food and 4 years worth of essential goods at hand." Other charges included impeding NK-China relationship improvement through the policy of stopping cross-border trade, as well as being co-opted by those engaged in ideological sedition. In order to soothe the people's disgruntlement rising out of the currency reform, the authorities circulated documents justifying Park's execution to each local party office.

However, the reactions of the officials forced to witness the execution tell a whole different story. They were lifelong colleagues of Park and others who were executed, who knew Park as someone who devoted all his life to North Korea’s planned economy with dedication and diligence. The witnessing officials were enraged at the public, made-for-example execution of Park as a scapegoat. While ordinary citizens might have had their blood thirst for the currency reform debacle satiated with Park’s death, the officials felt this execution hit close to home, complaining, “What did we ever do wrong?”

North Korean authorities traditionally maintained control over its society during crisis by targeting officials and foreign trading officials. Just to name a few examples from recent years, the president of Reungla 88 Company in Yeonsa County, president of Soonchun Vinalon Factory, and manager of Soonchun Stone works Factory all met their deaths through gruesome public executions. As such, the recent execution of Park Nam-ki and the forced banishment of his family to the labor camps is only the latest of North Korea’s punishment tradition. But it’s becoming apparent that these methods are being counterproductive. Even the central party officials are fearful and resentful over the possibility that they could be made into scapegoats overnight because of policy failures. Their shared thinking is that “What good is there to serve as a faithful public servant to a nation that could accuse you of sedition the next day? Even worse, what need is there to loyally serve a government that can’t even provide food?” With such mindset, they all believe that it’s foolish to answer the nation’s call for frontline leadership and sacrifice; in fact, answering such call would only hasten their deaths.

This is especially dire today ever since the May 26 official party directives asking local units to take care of the food situation by themselves. To make this possible, sincere and diligent efforts by the officials are crucial. However, not much can be expected from the officials in the absence of guarantee of their personal safety and security. Therefore, the North Korean authorities should reserve punishment for officials only for cases of personal corruption or criminal activities and not punish individual officials for policy failures. And even in cases of personal corruption, the accused officials should be dealt with according to existing laws, not publicly executed as an example. Especially, the practice of extending the blame to extended family of the accused should immediately be abolished.

North Korean authorities should, for the sake of justifying their rule, maintaining power, and enhancing political effectiveness, respect procedural democracy and the rule of law. Only then will the government attain the respect of the officials.

Friday, July 16, 2010

North Korea Today No. 349 July 2010

[Table]

Price of Yuan and Rice in Chungjin, N. Hamgyong Province
[Investigative Report]
5.26 Party Directives, an Experiment to Improve Economic System
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Passport Issuing Procedure Simplified but still Complicated
After the 5.26 Party Directives, passport issuing procedures were to be simplified but residents do not see much change. Kim Gil-sun from Pyungsung spent 2,000 Chinese Yuan to get a passport in order to visit his relatives in China. He was very disappointed that even though he invested enormous sums of money it would take at least one year or up to three years. He has heard that with more residents facing poor living condition, the government has simplified passport issuing process so that people can visit their relatives in China and receive help from them. Nevertheless, there are still complicated procedures people have to go through to receive a passport. One of those procedures is attending a mandatory education class. The main topic of the class is “You should never make any contacts with South Koreans or try to find out about South Korea.” They warn that people will be severely punished when any contacts were made with South Koreans. They also teach to propagate about “constructing a Strong and Prosperous Nation by recognizing Chosun’s reality and uniting under one goal” when people see their relatives. They also recommend people to take Chinese money rather than merchandise when receiving assistance from their relatives. “The food situation is very tight but you can only bring up to 100 kgs of rice. However, there are no restrictions on Chinese currency so you can bring a lot.” Excessively expensive issuing fee, complicated procedure, and most importantly, long wait time are still challenges to overcome.

Hoeryong Closes Down the Factories of No Operating Value Pursuant to May 26 Directives
Pursuant to the May 26 Directives of the Department of Labor under the cabinet, Hoeryong City of North Hamgyong Province has decided to close down the factories and public enterprises of no operating value and to relocate the laborers. Hoeryong City has decided to find out the factories and public enterprises where the production had ceased completely because they do not have raw materials and supplies at all as well as examining the possibility of production. According to the respective officer, whether there are raw materials is the first thing to be reviewed and he said, “There are many factories that do not have any raw materials as the foreign trade was completely blocked, so the factories that do not have one month’s worth of supplies will be the first to be closed down.” The factories where the production has been completely suspended cannot pay the monthly wages of the laborers, so they do not have an operating value any more, according to him. It is decided to set aside the minimum amount of labors in the closing factories and to relocate most of the laborers into Urban Construction Team, Farm Construction Team, and Building Maintenance Facility of Hoeryong City. The plan is to deploy the laborers primarily in various construction projects processed as a part of the construction project of Mother Kim Jung-Sook’s hometown. Pursuant to this decision of the City Party, the related departments, such as the Department of Labor, have decided to process the assignment of the laborers from the closing factories to the Special Labor Brigade for construction. However, the assignment to the Special Labor Brigade is not as easy as it seems because various factors such as the conditions, ratings and duties of the laborers must be considered. People cannot be assigned to the Special Labor Brigade blindly without sorting out people like laborers who were not able to come to work because they do not have anything to eat and long-term patients. Accordingly, the City Party began to classify laborers since June 1st and is known to enter into a major labor disposition as soon as the classification process is finished.

How do Workers Respond to Deployment of Labor Force at Closing Factories to Special Labor Brigade?
After hearing the news that the labor force at factories to be closed will be deployed to the Special Labor Brigade, most of the workers are, in general, displeased. No one prefers to work for the Brigade because the food and other necessary supplies for the Brigade are not guaranteed and the labor is very intense. When the Brigade requests labor force to Public Enterprises, Public Enterprises have had a hard time finding the workers because many of their workers are unwilling to join the Brigade. Many try to avoid the Brigade even though each Enterprise promises to provide food and supplies for them. It is also very common for those who were pushed into working for the Brigade to return to their homes after working for a brief period of time.

In Hoeryong, a factory manager also pointed out similar problems. He says, “Why aren’t people joining the Special Labor Brigade? First of all, if people join the Brigade, the work intensity will be hard and the break time will be very limited. At a regular factory, if the work is finished, the workers can have various sideline jobs such as working in the patch farm or doing trading at the market. However, because the Brigade is controlled much like the military, it is impossible for the workers to engage in such activities. Second of all, the Brigade workers have to provide their own shoes, gloves, etc. If their shoes wear out, no one will provide new shoes for them. The same goes for clothes; there aren’t even any work clothes. Third of all, almost no workplace in the Brigade provides proper safety arrangements for the workers. Who would want to work for the Brigade when it is almost like a labor camp? Nobody!”

These are the current situations. Therefore, many people expressed a great concern about which factories will be totally closed and which factory should reduce the number of workers. Some of the workers are expressing doubts towards the fairness of the labor force re-arrangement. Kim HyunChul (alias) says that the officials will always forcefully drive away the workers who are on their black list. He is worried that the process of the re-arrangement will be at the officials’ discretion. The only people who will evade working for the Brigade are those with money or those who have maintained close relationships with the officials. It’s inevitable that those without power or money will be the ones to be assigned to the Brigade.

Sariwon Threatens New Army Recruits, “Those who desert from army will be sent to a coal mine.”
Sariwon City, North Hwanghae Province had the highest number of enlisted army deserters who could not endure hunger during new recruit training of the People’s Army Enlistment that began on April 7. Because 12 new recruits deserted within a week period and the numbers of deserters only increase, the Military Recruitment Division of the Ministry of People’s Armed Forced ordered Sariwon City Party to deploy the runaways to a hard sector. Accordingly, Sariwon City Party placed them at a coal mine. In principle, for those army deserters suffering from malnutrition the Military Recruitment Division is supposed to supply nutrition to them and bring them back to the base. However, due to the fact that there are too many runaways suffering from malnutrition the Military Recruitment Division is unable to take appropriate measures, so they can only resort to coercive measures to prevent desertion. The Ministry of People’s Armed Forces is also threatening that the deserters will be deployed to the most difficult and harshest places such as coal mines and mining sectors.

Long Distance Bus Drivers Arrested for Transporting Drugs
During the middle of May, many bus drivers were arrested by the police in ChungJin, North Hamgyong Province, for transporting drugs. A total of 22, including 14 long distance bus drivers and 8 bus conductors for the ChungJin, Onsung, and Hoeryong route, were arrested. On June 19, the police in Chungjin convened a drug-related meeting with the bus drivers, conductors and assistants. The police delivered a clear message to those who attended the meeting: “If the bus workers are arrested for drug transportation, they will be convicted of a felony and sent to the Labor Education Center, regardless of the amount of drugs involved.” Since last year, small-scale arrests have been made regarding drug transportations, but this is the first time that a large-scale involving 14 of the 17 long distance bus drivers were arrested. One policeman indicated the food shortage as a cause of the spreading of drug deals, by saying, “It’s not uncommon that the bus drivers were conspiring with drug dealers to transport drugs in order to make money. However, it seems that the number of secret drug deals have been increasing lately due to the rapidly deteriorating life conditions for the residents.”

[Table] Price of Yuan and Rice in Chungjin

[Investigative Report]
5.26 Party Directives, an Experiment to Improve Economic System
On July 1, the price of rice and corn in Chungjin City, North Hamgyong Province, was 570 won and 350 won per 1 kg, respectively. The exchange rate was 142 won for 1 Yuan and 1,010 won for $1. Compared to the prices in April and May when rice was 400 won per kg and the exchange rate was 110 won per 1 yuan and 800-900 won for $1, it shows an ascending trend, but compared to the previous years' Spring Hardship Period, it is relatively stable. We have yet to see whether the ascent is going to get steeper or not. What are the most important factors that maintain the exchange rate and market prices relatively stable?

At first, it could be regarded as the effects of the 5.26 Party Directives. The directives stated, "The government will not be able to solve the food situation for the time being and each agency and enterprise should take care of the food supply on their own.'' With such directives it was anticipated that the price of staple grains and the exchange rate would skyrocket, but so far, there were only small scale increases. The major tenets of the directives are to lift all restrictions on markets and provide cash, a minimum of 150,000 won to a maximum of 600,000 won, to public enterprises. The directives ordered the closure of factories that suspended operations or have little prospect for productivity. The trading companies that were disbanded prior to the currency exchange and the military trading companies can resume trading as long as they can secure investment fund. Various trading restrictions were lifted. On June 7th, after the meeting of the Supreme People's Assembly, the central bank distributed 100 million won to municipal banks and 50 million won to county banks.

The directives are short-term measures to address the food crisis from June to August as well as the national economic crisis. As such, it appears to be an emergency measure. After the currency exchange measure, officials closed markets, banned trade and suspended foreign exchange activities. The effect was immediate paralysis of the North Korean economy. The restrictions on trading activity illustrated that North Korean society can no longer function without markets. Once the markets were closed, national and public enterprises, and even the national stores in Pyongyang had come to a stop and there were no movement of money and merchandise. As a result, from mid January, people began dying of hunger all over the country. North Korean authorities recognized the policy was a failure and sought to calm citizens by lifting market restrictions and reprimanding individuals responsible for the policies. "(For food supply) please be patient for three more months," officials said in an attempt to buy time, but three months elapsed and there was no economic recovery.

The 5.26 Party Directives appear to be an attempt not only to resolve food supply issues but also to revitalize the economy nationwide. It included instructions about the need to clarify the self-supporting accounting system. It instructed agencies and enterprises not to let laborers starve, and each enterprise should secure its own capital to pay wages and acquire resources. It provided cash to local banks in order to provide food and daily assistance. By adopting a series of measures the government abdicated responsibility for the socialist supply system, which is nominally surviving only in some core sectors and reduced the burden that the government must supply resources to public enterprises. In a way, it might be an aspect of strengthened self-supporting accounting system. It seems that they are even contemplating measures to either reduce the ration system with set prices or to discontinue it completely. Even if it's a stop-gap measure, it recognized the imbalance between the socialist supply system and a market system and placed more weight on the market economy.

Economic reform is necessary to encourage economic cooperation with foreign countries including China. It is inevitable that the North must implement internal reform to attract foreign investments in its eight cities. The North needs to demonstrate it is making every effort to improve its economy. If the reform experiments succeed despite its ad hoc nature, there would be no need to return to control-based socialist policies. It seems that officials will wait for the results of the experiments and then decide the direction of institutional restructuring. This is likely the reason why the authorities sent out the May 26 Directives to each unit quietly in contrast with the July 1 economic reform measures in 2002.

As the Party released money to provinces and enterprises and granted full responsibility to department unit managers, the success of this measure is dependent on the managers’ self-discipline and capability. Since they know this is a short-term emergency response, officials might siphon off the money that arrived in their hands without making any effort and just wait, doing nothing. However, if they take advantage of this opportunity and manage well until August, the current directives could lead to an institutional reform in the future.

However, it is doubtful that officials will work proactively and responsibly. To encourage their sense of responsibility, the authorities should regain their trust by guaranteeing security of the officials. In the past, the authorities controlled the wealthy private financiers by letting them grow for a certain period and then abruptly suffocating them with strict controls. Public managers and officials on the business front line remember cruel public executions of trade unit officials and private financiers starting in 2007. They might fear that they could lose their lives if they try to take the initiative for the new measure. Also, there is the usual pitfall of favoring family members and collective behaviors maximizing group interest.

If the reform measures of May 26 are to succeed, great leadership that guides each economic unit to survive through the market autonomy is necessary. Public officials and managers are the only ones who can assume that role. If they do not carry out the work, the nation might not be able to overcome this critical period until August or achieve economic recovery in the future. It appears that the government is trying to reshuffle the cabinet's authority which is traditionally responsible for economic recovery and convince the people that their efforts are sincere by changing the premier of the cabinet and appointing eight vice premiers. Concerns are arising as to how the new Choi Young Lim cabinet will navigate a new economic structure that will change in accordance with the May 26 directives.

North Korea Today No. 348 July 2010

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

North Korea Today No. 347 June 2010

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Central Party Secretly Dispatches Investigative Unit to Report on Peoples’ Living Conditions
Leading Secretary of the South Hamgyong Provincial Party Severely Criticized for Making False Claim: “Nobody died of starvation.”
Central Bank Distributes Newly Minted Currency to National Banks
Over 20% of the Laborers at Saenggiryung Pottery Factory Barely Surviving on Watery Gruel
Democratic Women’s Union (“DWU”) Members Failed to Attend Farming Mobilization at JaeRyong County
Chinese Yuan Rises in June
[Editorial] Urgency of North Korea’s Food Aid Request to International Community
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Central Party Secretly Dispatches Investigative Unit to Report on Peoples’ Living Conditions
After the 12th three-part conference held by the People’s Assembly came to a close on June 7th, the affiliated branches of the Central Party dispatched investigative units to secretly report on living conditions throughout the country. The first report was presented to the Party on June 18th describing the conditions in South Hamgyong Province. According to the report, in each of the following cities, Hamheung, Heungnam, Shinpo, Gohwon, Jungpyung, and Danchun, at least 100 people have died of starvation in three months from March to June. In Hamheung alone, 190 people have died of starvation from March to May. However, the actual number of deaths is suspected to be much higher. In Hamheung, 40 percent of the population is reported to have survived on porridge alone. Military units were also within the scope of the investigation, and it was discovered that not only privates, but high-ranking officers have also died of malnutrition. One public official in Hamheung stated the following: “Despite the number of people dying of starvation, not enough food is being provided; the divorce rate has quadrupled since last year; and people have already sold all of their belongings, and many are now thinking of selling their homes. The City Party is aware of this grave situation, but is failing to take any appropriate action.”

Leading Secretary of the South Hamgyong Provincial Party Severely Criticized for Making False Claim: “Nobody died of starvation.”
Jong-soo Tae, the Leading Secretary of the South Hamgyong Provincial Party was severely criticized after publicly stating that no one has died of starvation in South Hamgyong Province at the Supreme People’s Assembly on June 7th. Mr. Tae reported: “Although food cannot be distributed to the people due to economic difficulties facing the nation, nobody died of starvation thanks to all the hard work of the Provincial Party and officials of all ranks.” However, the report compiled by the secret inquiry commission painted a different story, where starvation turned out to be a very severe problem in the Province. Mr. Tae was also criticized by the Organization and Guidance Department of the Central Party: “The Provincial Party’s Leading Secretary cannot fathom how many people are starving to death because his own stomach is full. He does not know how many people die of hunger every day; how many are at the brink of death; and how many people are barely surviving on porridge alone. Doesn’t this indicate that he who is holding the trust of the Party and responsible for managing his Province, betraying our leader, Kim Jong-il, and the Party’s expectations?”

Central Bank Distributes Newly Minted Currency to National Banks
After the Supreme People’s Assembly meeting on June 7th, the Central Party decided to ease the illiquidity in the economy through the Central Bank distributing up to 100 million and 50 million NK won in new currency to the banks in the cities and in the counties, respectively. The Party determined that after the currency exchange, lack of circulation of the currency brought paralysis to the functioning of the public enterprises upholding the nation’s economy; workers were not receiving their wages markedly reducing their purchasing power of even food and daily necessities. With the additional funding, the public enterprises would be able to pay their workers up to three-months of deferred wages; however, it would not be sufficient for the enterprises to meet their operational needs.

Over 20% of the Laborers at Saenggiryung Pottery Factory Barely Surviving on Watery Gruel
Even the once profitable Saenggiryung Pottery Factory in Kyongsung, North Hamgyong Province is impacted by the food shortage. This company is known for producing high quality pots, which helped to sustain profits for some time. Nevertheless, over 20% of its employees were barely surviving on thin gruel last month and in April, seven laborers reportedly starved to death. As the food shortage worsened, the company secured a contract with a trading company in Ryanggang Province to acquire five tons of food to feed its workers. First, it distributed 10-12 kg of rice to each of the starving workers who could not work, and then 10 kg of rice each to workers who come to work and to the officers such as the company manager and the Secretary of the Party. However, the newly acquired provisions ran out quickly, and on May 11th the pottery company once again engaged in trade with the same trading company for five tons of food.

Although they were able to settle immediate food shortage needs, the manager of the factory and the Secretary of the Party were rebuked for acting on this decision prior to obtaining permission from the government. It was before the 5.26 directive went into effect and at the time bartering pots for food was illegal and punishable by law. The laborers grumbled and complained about this incident at the public prosecutors’ office: “The government had failed to distribute food to us, so many of us could not go to work to make pots. We did not use any illegal or inappropriate materials; we made products with ordinary materials and incorporated our skills.” The public officers refuted this complaint by saying: “The nation controls and manages the pottery factory, and because the company has illegally sold products to a trading company, it interfered with the nation’s development plans. You must not trade with any individual trading companies in secret, or sell items without permission. What you have done compromised our nation’s productivity and well-being.” Laborers angrily retorted to this statement: “If it was a critical crime, does it mean we should starve to death?” However, with the passage of the 5.26 order, the Saenggiryung Pottery Factory can now engage in unrestricted trade with any trading company.

Democratic Women’s Union (“DWU”) Members Failed to Attend Farming Mobilization at Jaeryong County
According to the data reported by the Democratic Women’s Union (“DWU”) town office at Jaeryong County, South Hwanghae Province, approximately 380 DWU members did not participate in the farming mobilization due to lack of food. Jaeryong County is a very important region in the nation because it is a granary that engages in rice farming. However, officials of the County Party and the People’s Assembly went to each neighborhood unit to investigate the actual conditions and submitted the report because women’s participation rate in the farming mobilization was very low. A decision was made at a countermeasure meeting of the South Hwanghae Province Provincial Party to quickly release some of the army provisions and the food earmarked to send to the Mount Baekdu special labor brigade because of a report informing them that women could not come to work due to starvation. The provincial party distributed 10 days worth of food at the end of May to the regions inside the South Hwanghae Province which have the most serious food problems such as Jaeryong County and Taetan County. Each family in the region received approximately 7-9kg of corn. The Provincial Party’s action, however, provides very little help because more than half of the people in the region at issue do not have any food to eat or eat only one or two porridges a day. People in the western seashore regions of the South and North Hwanghae Province are anxiously waiting for the potato harvesting that will happen around June 20th. Farmers are anxiously waiting for the newly harvested potatoes saying that now is the most difficult time and when the newly harvested potatoes are available then they can survive. In the mean time, weak people are silently dying from starvation.

Chinese Yuan Rises in June
The value of Chinese Yuan noticeably rises since the middle of June. Since the early June, regional parties instructed relevant departments and institutions about the 5.26 Party Directive, and this seems to impact the market price since the middle of June when the news spread all over the society. Since the majority of goods circulating in the nation are Chinese made, the market prices respond very sensitively to the value of Chinese Yuan. In Chungjin City, North Hamgyong Province, 1 Chinese Yuan per 110 NKW was maintained in May, but it went up to 120 NKW in early June and again rose to 130 NKW in the middle of June. Finally, the value of Chinese Yuan went up everyday since the end of June. Namely, 130 NKW on exchange rate in June 22nd rose to 140 NKW the next day, and the next day it jumped to 155 NKW. Merchants anticipate that prices of goods and foods imported from China will also increase given that the value of Chinese Yuan increases by 10 won per day. Markets do not have a fixed price concept yet, thus the prices of goods are determined by the value of Chinese Yuan. People worry that the food price may increase even further given that they already cannot afford to buy food.

[Editorial] Urgency of North Korea’s Food Aid Request to International Community
North Korea’s Central Party has recently conducted a secret survey on the condition of livelihood of provincial population. The survey is said to be focused on the number of deaths by starvation and food situation among people. This implies that the Central Party is seriously concerned about the acute food shortage problem of the people. This rare move by the government is highly welcomed although conducting surveys to examine the food crisis and to try to address the problem is mandated to a government by default.

Actually, the Central Party has previously taken this type of measure in last January through its Economic Policy Censor Department. With reports from various regions revealing significant number of people dying from starvation, the Cabinet convened for an emergency response and yielded a policy that practically allows markets. It also tried to contain civil discontent with a statement about the currency reform, saying that “the policy itself was designed in the right direction, but we recognize the confusion in the society.” Now it went even further to give a Party Directive of May 26th which asked people to be ‘Self-support for food’, along with allowing of full market opening, and abolition of various trade restrictions and regulations. This is to admit the government’s inability to provide food and let people do whatever they can do to survive. This action is a positive step in the sense that the government changed its control-driven policy to allowing more autonomy to businesses and individuals. Moreover, it rationed 40 to 60 thousand NK won to state-run companies and 5,000 won to 100 million won to regional banks for their operation. All these measures represent breakthroughs from the previous responses.

The Central Party leadership officially admitted incidents of deaths by starvation through this survey. However, the actual number of deaths will be much higher than the data Party collected. The Central Party organization department’s criticism against wealthy high officials is right in that they do not know the dire situation of the people. Since food shortage is absolutely critical in North Korea, the government should step forward to secure food resources from abroad. It should not sabotage its responsibility by pushing it to individual government officials and letting loose people to survive on their own. It does not matter if the food is coming as aid or as loan; the government must bring food to its people by any means. The capacity of individuals or units of departments and regions is not comparable to that of the government, and the amount of food they can manage to secure is limited.

Therefore, the government should request international food aid and commit to the actions the international community is calling for. Foremost, it should request the Chinese government’s cooperation and humanitarian aid. In the recent North Korea-China summit, the Chinese government expressed its willingness to cooperate and make an alliance. At the North’s request, the Chinese government can quickly respond with humanitarian aid and economic cooperation. At the same time, the North government should communicate with the international community and South Korean government about its humanitarian crisis and ask for help. The South Korean government has already made a statement ensuring its continued humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable population of the North regardless of the sinking of the Cheonan. The international community also recognizes the need of continuation of humanitarian aid despite the UN Security Council’s resolutions 1718 and 1814 against North Korea in response to the North’s nuclear experiment. A special attention is required from the United States because 2/3 of its pledged food aid of 500,000 ton is still pending since it stopped last year. If the North Korean government commits to cooperate the US’ monitoring procedure, its humanitarian aid may resume without delay.

In the current tension amid the international sanction on North Korea and the sinking of Cheonan, it is understandable that it must be difficult for the North government to request humanitarian assistance. However, it is nothing to be ashamed to ask for help when in a desperate situation. A great general puts every effort not only to win the war but also to prevent unnecessary deaths of his soldiers. Time is short for the North to solve its serious food crisis only by its own effort and through agricultural reform. Foreign food aid is necessary to avoid further innocent deaths. To facilitate the aid, the North Korean government should accept the demand of international community to certain extent. If the North responds to its food crisis proactively, it will be able to take advantage of the momentum and induce more international cooperation.

Friday, July 9, 2010

North Korea Today No. 346 June 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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Central Party Says, “If the electricity to produce Juche Steel runs out, officials will take the responsibility”
Many Hungry Laborers Are Absent Without Leave Even Though They Were Asked to Produce Juche Steel
[Investigative Report] What is Juche Steel?
Gimcheck Steel Mill Struggles to Prepare Food for June through August
Chungjin City Officials, “The City Party is also responsible for the Chungjin food crisis"
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Central Party Says, “If the electricity to produce Juche Steel runs out, officials will take the responsibility”
On April 1st and 12th, a molten metal that was rapidly boiling in the furnace to produce Juche Steel happened to harden all of a sudden in Gimchaek Steel Mill of Chungjin, North Hamgyong Province. This accident occurred as the supply of electric power was cut off. The full account of this accident was conveyed to the Central Party as the No.1 report. As soon as the Central Party who manifested a strong will in producing Juche Steel heard the report, it delivered an instruction that says, “Make sure there is no interference in producing Juche Steel even though the electricity may not be provided in every other areas of the society other than the area of military supplies.” It also warned that if the operation of the steel mill suspends again due to the electricity problem, every respective officials in the Ministry of Electrical Industry will take the responsibility. In addition, it emphasized again to accelerate the production of Juche Steel by saying, “How much more we produce Juche Steel determines how much we can purchase food from foreign countries.” Apart from the Ministry of Power Industry, the Provincial Party of North Hamgyong Province decided to reduce the amount of electricity provided in each city and county. “We have not received much electricity so far, but it seems like it will be even scarcer in the future, so the electricity problem is becoming extremely strained,” an official from the Chungjin City Party worries.

Many Hungry Laborers Are Absent Without Leave Even Though They Were Asked to Produce Juche Steel
As the policy of the party to “pour out every power without hesitation in producing Juche Steel as we need to resolve the strained food problem of the nation by exporting Juche Steel to foreign countries and exchanging it with food” was delivered repeatedly to Gimchaek Steel Mill of Chungjin. The Provincial Party of North Hamgyong Province is very interested in the production of Juche Steel in Gimchaek Steel Mill. However, the laborers themselves do not seem to be much enthusiastic. It is because they are too hungry. 90 laborers who reside in the dormitory of Gimchaek Steel Mill eat 150 grams of steamed corn meal only twice, in the morning and afternoon, and eat corn noodles that are heavily soaked in water in the evening. It is as if 8 co-residents are sharing 1 kilogram of dried noodles. Among the hungry laborers, there were many who were absent without leave in early March, but as the rations were distributed fully later, the number of absentees without leave was visibly decreased from late March to April. As the food ran out again in May, the number of absentees began to increase one by one. In steel casting workplace where it runs on two-shift rosters for a day, the number of absentees amount to 25 people among approximately 130 laborers. Approximately 75 people, excluding 10 people who went out to social mobilization and 20 long-term patients, are attending to work. The party officials demanded that the party members would take the initiative in working, and warned that the laborers who are absent without leave for more than a week will be punished at the Labor Discipline Center.

[Investigative Report] What is Juche Steel?
In North Korea the industries of steel, fertilizer and vinalon are regarded as the three major industries. They are also the symbols of 'Self-reliant People's Economic Policy' that prescribes 'the domestic resources, domestic skills, and domestic endeavors to develop the technology industry'. The self-reliant production of these three items is presented as the impetus for the Strong and Prosperous Nation. It would not be an over-statement to say that the national economy depends on the production of vinalon (2.8 Vinalon Plant), fertilizer (Namheung Chemical Plant), and Juche Steel (Sungjin Iron Works Plant, Gimchek Steel Enterprise). Juche Steel refers to the steel produced by using domestic coal rather than diesel and cokes that need to be imported.

On December 19, 2009, while visiting the Sungjin Iron Works Plant in Gimchek City, North Hamgyong Province, Chairman Kim Jong-il said that, "(Successful) development for the production of Juche Steel using domestic technology is a greater victory than the success of third nuclear testing." A special statement of appreciation, issued on March 5 to congratulate the 2.8 Vinalon Plant production, said that, "The transformation of 2.8 Vinalon United Enterprise to a modern chemical plant and its fabulous ascent is an extraordinary event comparable to launching an atomic bomb and is a great victory for the socialism." There was also a large-scale propaganda about the fact that in Namheung Chemical Fertilizer Plant they were able to independently produce fertilizer using gas from coal rather than naphtha.
However, contrary to the gigantic propaganda in the country, there are a lot of problems in producing Juche steel, fertilizer, or vinalon using domestic resources. In cases of vinalon and Juche steel, the amount of electricity needed to produce them was so enormous, it was termed "an electricity-eating hippopotamus" and thus greatly reduced the economic rate of return; for the production of fertilizers where expensive high-heat coal was being used, there are even talks that it would be more efficient to buy fertilizers rather than using money to buy high-heat coal to produce them. That was the reason why even in the inside of the Central Party it is viewed more of a political propaganda than practical economic benefits.

Gimcheck Steel Mill Struggles to Prepare Food for June through August
Gimchaek Steel Mill has been able to continue its food ration thanks to Juche Steel production. On top of a ten-day portion of corn distributed last February, they were able to provide food for both first-half and second-half distribution with the corn produced from Hoeryong city in March. However, most products made from corn were low-end because farming did not go well. 190 workers were unable to receive food rations of even the low-grade corn product. In April, the situation got better due to the 4.15 Day of the Sun (Kim Il-sung’s birthday) and 50 percent of rice and 50 percent of corn were distributed to workers with certain positions and those in labor-intensive positions received a paycheck of 9,000 NKW. In May, corn for the first half of the month distribution was provided from May 3rd in some workplaces. After providing paychecks and rations, some of the food was released temporarily to the Chungjin Market as people tried to sell the food in the market. However, it is uncertain whether the food distribution for June through August can be made.

The Provincial Leading Party Secretary of North Hamgyong Province has been looking to export pig iron and import food from China. The workers begged the leading secretary to resolve food problems since people started to die from hunger. Although food distribution is made the amount of ration varies at different in each workplace. The leading secretary in charge of the provincial party stressed to the leading officials of Gimcheck Steel Mill that, “No matter what the situation is, we should make food distribution to workers as our first priority. Juche Steel production is directly linked to our nation’s food situation this year. And that shows how important it is that the workers work hard." He urged that food ration to workers should be guaranteed no matter what it takes.

Chungjin City Officials, “The City Party is also responsible for the Chungjin food crisis"
The officials of Chungjin City, North Hamgyong Province pointed fingers at the City Party that they did not fulfill their jobs. They said that even though food crisis is a nationwide problem the City Party was too passive about the problem and not proactive enough to resolve the food crisis. Below are some issues raised at the meeting.

First, the food crisis in Chungjin is due to the nationwide food shortage and stopped food distribution. Second, Juche Steel production did not meet the expectations despite efforts to increase production and secure food from its sale. Even the small amount of food acquired from China in exchange of Juche Steel exported went to other cities in in-land areas such as Pyongyang instead of being distributed in Chungjin. Third, although officials selected the poorest families and provided them with food, it only covered limited number of families. Only 2 to 3 families in each Neighborhood Unit received food. Among the 30 households in a Neighborhood Unit up to 14 to 15 households are considered to be suffering from hunger. As they focused on providing reliefs to only 2-3 households that were suffering the most they were unable to come up with plans for the whole residents which resulted in food crisis for the whole city. Fourth, food crisis is deepening even with blanket permission to open markets because goods do not circulate well and purchasing power is weak. Chungjin City officials stressed that people should not depend solely on Juche Steel production but also look for other ways to acquire food. It is reported that about 70 people died from hunger from March through May in Chungjin City based on the report from the People's Life Investigation Group deployed by the Organization and Guidance Department of the Central Party. A Chungjin City official mentioned that although the figure reported to the Central Party was 70 people died from hunger the actual figure was bigger than that.

North Korea Today No. 345 June 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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Eight Passengers Died from Starvation on a Stranded Hyesan-Pyongyang Train
Hyesan Train Tragedy Could Have Been Avoided
Packing Food is a Must on Train Trip Because of Frequent Blackouts
Residents Shocked over Death of Hoeryong Party Cell Secretary
Kyung-seong Kim, a Cell Secretary of the North Korean Rail Authority, a Casualty of Starvation
Kyung-seong Kim’s Death Introduced at Public Lectures as a Moving Story
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Eight Passengers Died from Starvation on a Stranded Hyesan-Pyongyang Train
Unreliable railroad power is no news, but eight people died from starvation due to an unexplained railroad power failure which left the people trapped in a deep mountain. On March 25th, right after passing Baekam station, the train number 1 connecting Hyesan and Pyongyang stopped deep in the mountains far away from villages for nine days. The passengers had no choice but to rely on small snacks they packed for the trip. By the end of the third day of power outage, there was nothing left to eat. With the train still not moving, the hungry people waited patiently. Passengers who were physically strong took the food from the weak people by force. Especially soldiers took the food away from passengers and shared it among themselves. Some of the impatient people left the train to walk on foot. They left hoping to find a house in the vicinity and get something to eat. Some of them backtracked because they were afraid of losing their way in the deep mountain. Some of the people luckily made it back to Hyesan City after days of walking. After fifth day of the power outage, a couple of people began to pass out. After nine days of power outage, total of eight people lost their lives due to starvation. Among the dead were three soldiers who took the food away from passengers. By the time the train began moving, there were about 20 people left in each car. Many others had left the train by the time the power was restored.

Hyesan Train Tragedy Could Have Been Avoided
With better response to the railroad power outage at the initial stage, the deaths of eight people could have been prevented. The most critical problem is that there is no communication system in case of emergencies. Four days had passed by the time the news of passengers trapped on the train reached the City Party of Hyesan City in the Ryangang Province. By this time, the passengers had run out of food and had begun to starve. There was also the problem of delayed response. Although Ryangang Province Party ordered the Hyesan City Party to come up with a rescue plan, the City Party did not respond immediately. They did not make attempts to locate the train in the mountains or try to move the train through emergency power. Furthermore, their attempt to communicate with the conductor came much later. By the time the City Party started their rescue efforts, nine days had passed since the railroad power outage. Many lives were lost during this time. When they arrived at the train, they had to first bury eight bodies. Many of the remaining passengers were severely weakened or in a coma. Although they transported the passengers to the hospital, there were already casualties. If they had responded efficiently, lives would not have been lost.

When they heard the news, citizens of Baekam County and Hyesan City criticized, “When you see the operation of the railroad, it seems like our country is headed toward Powerless and Declining Nation, rather than Powerful and Prosperous Nation.” Some citizens raised their voices, “You can tell about the whole by looking at a few samples, a tragedy like this is an indication of how poorly the whole country is managed. After they pushed for the currency exchange, our lives have only become harder. Yet they do not have any plans for correcting the problems. They just tell us to survive on our own. So, how could they have a plan when an accident like this happens?” After the currency exchange, many citizens are showing strong distrust toward the government.

Packing Food is a Must on Train Trip Because of Frequent Blackouts
Accidents on the Hyesan-Pyongyang train are quite unfortunate, but blackouts are now unavoidable given the poor state of North Korea’s electric power system. A recent train accident at Hyesan occurred so deep in the mountains that it took time for news of the accident to be reported to officials. The accident was a tragedy because it was difficult for passengers to save themselves. Unfortunately, blackouts on trains in Pyongyang occur so frequently that they are considered to be of little importance. A roundtrip that used to take two or three days now requires a minimum of one week and as long as 10 days to complete. In 2009 railway conditions were much better. In 2010 as power conditions continue to grow worse, passengers are boarding cars with prepared meals. The train sometimes makes whistle stops and stay at a station for a long time, but it also stops in remote areas such as Hyesan.

This provides opportunities for residents who live near rail lines to earn income. The residents are selling all sorts of products to stranded passengers on the trains. By bringing a caldron, water, fire wood from their homes, residents prepare meals next to the railways and sell food to hungry passengers. One meal costs 200 NKW and corn meal costs 600 NKW per kg. Some nearby residents began to sell water for washing with soap and towels while others sold bread. The sight of “kkotjebis” or homeless children begging in the area is a frequent sight. A factory worker who frequently takes business trips to Pyongsung said, “(The train system) is a lot like the 1990s again. They used to repaint the trains, and for the past few years they ran quickly and on time. Since the end of 2009, the trains began to slow down all over again. Party officials issued orders to secure the railways, but complex electrical problems are making it difficult to fix the problem.” Electricity shortages are having a wide-ranging impact on all services.

Residents Shocked over Death of Hoeryong Party Cell Secretary
In the city of Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province, residents were shocked by the death of Kyung Sung Kim, 52, the former Division Operations Conductor of the National Party Cell Secretary. Kim’s death by starvation was not what shocked residents most. Lee, one of Kim’s co-workers said, “You can easily put food on the table by working for the railway, but these days, it is even hard for us to make a living.” Railway workers received rations from the state and had plenty of business thanks to traveling merchants who bribed the workers. There is even a saying that workers with the Department of Railroads can make a living off by selling a wheel from a train. Following the currency exchange revaluation of 2009 and the prohibition against private markets, fewer merchants are using the railway. As a result, railway workers have fewer sources of income. Kim was not just a labor worker, but a Party Cell Secretary who possessed higher status, thereby attracting more attention to the food shortage situation.

When reporting this incident to the Central Party, the North Hamgyong Province Party did not mention that the cause of death was starvation. Instead they praised Kim as an “Excellent Member of the Party.” The report states that no matter how difficult his personal situation was, Kim was never motivated by self-interest and should be remembered as “an upright worker of Kim Jong Il”. However, the reaction of the Central Party proved embarrassing to local officials because the department did not send care products in condolence as they customarily did in the past. People have formed a shared understanding that this lack of response highlighted both the state’s economic difficulty and the party’s decline in status and power. Like this, the death of the party secretary made an impact on residents and officials in several ways.

Kyung-seong Kim, a Cell Secretary of the North Korean Rail Authority, a Casualty of Starvation
Kyung-seong Kim was an honest man so his family did not have much. Because the railroad is a special unit, he received food ration for a certain period. Since this was only enough for him, it was up to his wife to support their family through paddling. However, with the currency exchange, all the money his wife had made through the business became worthless. Then his wife also became sick, and she was no longer able to run the business. Furthermore, his food ration decreased in February, so his family often missed meals. By April, the family survived on ground corncob porridge. Yet Kim never missed work. When he returned home hungry, he told his wife that he ate at work so that his starving wife and child could have the corn porridge. Many days, he would not eat a single meal, and his malnutrition became worse.

On May 20th, while he was on a night duty looking around the water supply, he fell from a height 4 meters high. When a train arrives in the station, the station must provide the passengers with drinking water. Kim was looking at the water supply because it often failed to work. He was walking in the dark without a light when he realized that there was a big hole. Although he tried to avoid the hole, he became dizzy and fell into the hole. Because he had starved for many days, he had no strength to get up once he fell into the hole. He was discovered by his friend who came to look for him when he failed to return. His colleagues pulled Kim up by tying a rope around him. When he realized that Kim was still alive, Kim was taken to the hospital. The doctor said Kim was suffering from malnutrition and gave him an instillation. Although Kim had no physical wounds, he died from malnutrition. When his colleagues visited his home to find some clothes for his funeral, they found no suitable clothes. The only thing they found in the house to eat was 300g of ground corncob. In the end, the stationmaster put one of his outfits on Kim for his funeral. Kim’s funeral was held on the morning of May 21st at the Hoeryong station.

Kyung-seong Kim’s Death Introduced at Public Lectures as a Moving Story
The Central Party has used the story of Kyung-seong Kim’s death for its propaganda. His story was sent all over the country as a touching story to be told during public lectures. The story states that Kim died while performing a railroad repairs for the passengers, not from starvation. It also painted a better family life for Kim. The story stated that his family had 200kg of rice, not 300g of ground corncob. His sick wife was also portrayed as a housewife who had been ill for a long time. The story also stated that Kim did not go home for three months because he was a hard worker who worked tirelessly day and night. The story praised Kim as the image of a hard, loyal worker in Hoeryong City, the hometown of mother Kim Jeong-sook (Kim Jong-il’s mother). However, people who heard the news were surprised and said, “The country’s economy is so bad that even the railroad workers have nothing to eat.”

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

North Korea Today No. 344 June 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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Workers at the Samsuk Apple Orchard Eat Food Meant for Pigs
Approx. One Third of the 6.18 Special Labor Brigade Members Suffer from Malnutrition
Members of the Special Labor Brigade Stole Food, Punished with Forced Labor
Apple Orchards and Pyongyang’s Policy of Food Self-sufficiency
Big Cut in Support for the Once-Popular Jagang Province Heechun Power Plant
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Workers at the Samsuk Apple Orchard Eat Food Meant for Pigs
The construction of new apple orchards in the Samsuk area near Pyongyang has reached its peak. Most of the workers mobilized to help with the construction are members of Special Labor Brigades from each Provincial Security Bureau, organized by the People’s Security Agency. Approximately 6,000 6.18 Special Labor Brigade workers began construction on the orchards on March 1. Since March, workers have torn down approximately 3,000 homes and turned paddies and dry fields into apple orchards. The first stage of the construction, the creation of 300 jungbo (a unit of land. 1 Jungbo is 2.45acres) of apple farms by April, has ended, and the second stage of construction began on May 1. Although the construction has been making progress, the food situation for the Special Labor Brigade workers has become increasingly difficult.

Fifty kilograms of raw corn with husks are distributed to each company as food. Because the corn is divided among 65-70 workers, each worker gets less than they would receive in rations during normal conditions. Due to the food shortage, cafeterias in the labor companies change corn to crushed maize, and then mix it with ground corncobs, corn husks, and even pig feed, all without carefully washing them. The final product resembles porridge, which becomes the workers’ meals.

Up until March, seasoned cabbage or white radish soup was provided for the workers along with the rest of their meal, but beginning in May, the food shortage became so severe that the workers had to live off of salt water. Because the corn porridge, which contains various animal feeds, has become the staple for the workers, the number of workers who have been suffering from malnutrition rapidly increased, leading to several deaths. In addition, some workers died of severe colds because of the very cold weather in the spring. Still other workers died of colitis due to indigestion. Approximately 20 workers in three battalions died in April.

During March, many workers managed to survive by eating the powdered popcorn and other foods their families gave while visiting them. Soon, even this source of sustenance dried up, as workers’ families began to suffer on their own. Despite these difficult circumstances, the work intensity has not decreased. Workers continue to be compelled to work until midnight. Due to malnutrition and the hard work, many workers are losing their lives even to small injuries.

Approx. One Third of the 6.18 Special Labor Brigade Members Suffer from Malnutrition
The month of April has brought a sudden increase in the number of malnutrition cases in every company of the 6.18 Special Labor Brigade. As of June, the number of Brigade members who have been suffering from malnutrition has risen to over one third of the total number of members. Approximately 20 out of the 70 workers in each company are weak due to malnutrition and cannot undertake more than 10 hours of physical labor a day. The sight of ill and malnourished workers makes for a somber mood in the Special Labor Brigade.

An increasing number of the Special Labor Brigade members have been refusing to work. Hunger causes many of them to search for private homes where they can acquire food. In cases where neighboring farms manage to provide bean sprouts and dried radish slices for the Brigade members, officers, such as the platoon and squad leaders, always take the food for themselves before the workers eat. Faced with a lack of food and leadership that refuses to care for them properly, Brigade members have no choice but to leave the construction sites in order to find something to eat.

Members of the Special Labor Brigade Stole Food, Punished with Forced Labor
On the evening of the May 29, 2010, eleven members of Special Labor Brigade belonging to Battalion 3, Squadron 2, ran away from their post after stealing 40 kg of crushed maize soaked in water, food that was meant for breakfast. They escaped to Pyongsung City, and then split up as they walked home. Their brigade unit requested local police stations to capture the fugitives. In the end, all eleven members were caught. Seven of the fugitives resisted being handed over to the brigade, including four who were members of the Labor Party. The Labor Party members received judgmental criticism and were ostracized from the party with an additional punishment of forced labor. The other three fugitives were turned over to the brigade without any special punishment because they were members of the Workshop Union.

As the number of deserters increases, officers in the Special Labor Brigade have intensified their ideological rhetoric, stating, “We cannot ignore the key mission because of temporary hardship. It is not easy to build our Strong and Prosperous Nation. But even as we expect further sacrifices, we will never retreat.” At the same time, the officers protested that the members of their brigade were at risk of dying from hunger, even going so far as to say that members of the brigade had never received sufficient support or reward for more than two years since they joined the army. A squad commander spoke about the sad reality of the brigade’s task. “People started dying even during the early stages of constructing the orchard. Completing the whole three-stage project will require more deaths and sacrifices.”

Although cities and counties have taken on non-tax burdens in order to support the work brigades, the majority of food and supplies they collected was allocated to the Heechun Power Generation Plant in Jagang Province, which had been given a higher national priority. With most of the extra support going to the power plant, little is left over for Samsuk District and the orchard construction project. Members of the brigade are forced to steal or beg food from private homes. Squeezed between the shortage of supplies and their own hunger, the number of fugitives continues to grow.

Apple Orchards and Pyongyang’s Policy of Food Self-sufficiency
The construction of an apple orchard at Samsuk, organized and led by the Fruit Bureau, is turning cornfields in Doduk and Kwangduk into apple farms. After receiving a report about the Italy’s apple crop and apple exports from an inspection team sent to study foreign countries’ agricultural products and agricultural exports, the Bureau decided to import apple seedlings from Italy, export the apple harvest, and enlarge the orchards.

Samsuk is famous for its apples. Doduk in particular has been known as one of the best places for growing apples. However, many apple orchards in Samduk were changed into cornfields or fields for other crops in order to fulfill Pyongyang’s policy of food self-sufficiency. The Fruit Bureau opposed this policy, but Samsuk was forced to relinquish all but a few apple orchards and to change other orchards into fields to produce food. The reaction to the recent report from the inspection team marks a reversal in Pyongyang’s policy toward Samsuk which resulted in construction work for the expansion of apple orchard to produce apples to be exported.

Big Cut in Support for the Once-Popular Jagang Province Heechun Power Plant
What has become of the Heechun power plant in Jagang Province? The power plant construction project had long received the highest priority from the government, but ever since the government revalued its currency, the resulting economic plunge has been affecting the power plant as well. The mobilized construction forces have had fluctuations in its food supply before, but rations of food and other necessities completely stopped for most workers during the month of March. Candies and biscuits produced in Pyongyang that used to be given to the workers three times a month haven’t been seen since February. The Support Bureau, after reporting the food shortage, ordered provisions of white rice to be made for the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th divisions, which were suffering to the greatest degree. But the support bureaus are refusing to provide unglutinous rice to the divisions, although they are known to have their own supply. From January to March, unglutinous rice and corn had been given out in a 50:50 ratio to the 1st-3rd divisions. Since April, when the economy weakened, the ratio has become 30:70. Seaweed and bean paste has been provided as well.

The current situation stands in stark contrast to last December when the Central Party and the Provincial parties were supporting construction of the power plant with all available resources, making sure that the workers were provided with sufficient supplies. Despite the drop in support, the Heechun power plant can still be said to receive the most privileges, especially when compared to other construction sites, where workers survive by eating corn porridge.