Sources from inside North Korea have been describing to Daily NK the various ways in which the authorities are generating a tense domestic atmosphere following UN Resolution 2094 and the start of ‘Key Resolve-Foal Eagle’ ROK-U.S. military exercises.

A source from the North Hamkyung Province city of Chongjin told Daily NK today, “Province, municipal and county administrations have been moved underground and civilian exercises are being held daily, so tensions are at a high right now. There are some people selling possessions to buy rice and other emergency foods.”

“By moving provincial radio, provincial news and telephone communications agencies underground, they have moved the authenticity of the wartime crisis up a notch,” she also added. “Even those guys who used to see it as more of the same old ‘war atmosphere propaganda’ have grown tenser.”

At the same time, however, people are still expressing annoyance at the war preparations. As the source said, “Everywhere I go there is propaganda about preparing for war. People would far rather have a war than live in these hard conditions.”

She went on to explain that military and civilian rallies and ongoing defense evacuation drills are hindering market activities, forcing up food prices and making it more difficult to secure supplies. The price of rice has risen by 500 won/kg since last week, she explained, adding, however, “People are just praying that they won’t close the markets down, even if a war were to break out.”

Meanwhile, another source from southerly Gangwon Province told Daily NK, “The authorities there are getting people to take part in a ‘grand army support project’, and collecting rice cake from the merchants in the market. These days food traders just leave their posts when they see Party cadres coming into the marketplace.”