No Traffic Laws in North Korea, Accident Inevitable

Han Young Jin / Defector from Pyongyang, Reporter of the DailyNK

Recently, there has been a noticeable decrease of vehicles on the streets of North Korea due to the increase of oil price. Although North Korean cars run by burning woods, woods cannot run foreign cars, so the military illegally sells oil to the “oil sellers” at a high price. The recent price of 1kg of oil is known to be about 1,500 North Korean won (oil is sold in kilos in North Korea, 1kg of gasoline is about 1.5 liters).

Freight Trucks, the Means of Transportation for the Common People

The economy is already bad, and the increase in oil price made the sellers to do their businesses. Since there are no taxis or buses, people have to travel by train. However, it is difficult to obtain a travel permit, which is necessary to take a train.

After the 7.1. Economic Management Improvement Act in 2002, price of train tickets skyrocketed. Even those who do not have permits take train. In order to travel from Musan to Pyongyang, the train ticket costs about 15,000 North Korean won. That is a really high price considering that the monthly wage for an average worker in North Korea ranges from 2,500 won to 3,000 won.

For that reason, people without any choice use freight trucks to travel in search of food or goods for their businesses. It costs about 300 won to 500 won from Huiryeong to Chongjin per person without any luggage, but one luggage is considered as one person. Therefore you have to pay 300 won in addition per luggage.

The People’s Army Turn into Robbers When They See Freight Trucks

The number one enemy for those who ride freight trucks is the soldiers. After the serious food crisis, hungry soldiers of the People’s Army often force the freight trucks to stop and loot the belongings of the people. There are also civilians who wear military clothes in order to rob. They pretend to be soldiers and move around in groups, stop running vehicles, and loot goods on these trucks.

In 1998 when the food crisis was very serious, we heard rumors every morning such as “people were robbed in Anju” or “people were looted in Suncheon.”

Then Kim Jong Il’s order came down in March, 1998. “Those who stop cars in the middle of the road could be driven over.” After the order came down, all the cadres or drivers of any sort drove their vehicles without any fear.

For that reason, there were many people killed by attempting to stop freight trucks. Among those who died, there were soldiers, robbers pretending to be soldiers, and also common people trying to get a ride. By one sentence from Kim Jong Il, a war started between “the military and the freight trucks.”

For course there were some soldiers stopping the running vehicles to do their job. However, most of them were off duty soldiers and some, escaped soldiers. The legal way to stop the vehicles is by wearing armbands, which military postmen or military guards usually wear.

Escaped soldiers wear armbands and wait on the high slopes. When the vehicles slow down to climb up, they stop the vehicle and ride them demanding, “The Commander (Kim Jong Il)’s army wishes to ride this car, what do you have to say?” They drive the vehicle to wherever they wish to go, and take all the belongings on it. Sometimes they make the drivers to do some work. Of course, when drivers or riders resist, they are harshly beaten.

Increase of the Number of Accidents Because of the Commander’s Order

On March 1999, I was on my way to Pyongyang. I wanted to take a ride from Gaechon to Pyongyang. Three soldiers wearing armbands were waiting, while behind them were few people waiting to take a ride once a car is stopped. After a moment, we could see a seven ton Chinese truck called “East Wind” coming from a far distance.

When the soldiers moved to try to stop the truck, it slowed down and came closer to the crowd. One of the soldiers tried to move closer to the driver, and the people, wanting to get on the trucks once it stopped, got ready to jump on it. However, once it passed the crowd in slow motion, it started to speed up again and ran away. One soldier jumped on the door to stop the driver and grabbed the door knob. If the soldier could open the door, the driver would be seriously beaten up.

The driver who was nervous opened the door while still speeding up. The soldier who grabbed the door knob fell down screaming to the ground and unfortunately the back tiers of the truck ran over his legs. However, the truck did not even slow down. Beside the driver, two more people were on the truck and by appearance looked like party cadres. The person right next to the driver looked back and yelled at the driver to speed up more.

The wounded soldier fell unconscious, but “East Wind” disappeared at a full speed. Even if the soldier stopped the car, the driver would have said, “All I did was to follow the Commander’s order.” Although the wounded soldier was taken to the military hospital by the other soldiers, I wonder if his legs were treated to be normal again, considering the medical level in North Korea at the time.

According to the recently fled North Korean defectors, the transportation situation in North Korea is even more difficult now. As means of transportation are getting fewer and fewer, roads are becoming more and more lawless. Since the Commander’s thoughtless order is added on to the already difficult situation, big and small accidents continuously occur.