While the North Korean authorities are busy creating a warlike atmosphere and maintaining a hard-line policy towards South Korea, the citizens are living without tension or instability.
According to sources in North Korea, after publicly releasing the statement of the General Staff on the 17th January, the authorities began emphasizing to the people in domestic lectures and People’s Unit meetings that, “Our citizens have to live in a state of tension because the Southern rebel Lee Myung Bak wants to start a war.”
The source reported to Daily NK on the 2nd, “The upper (the authorities) are making an outcry about the ‘North-South confrontational status,’ which we have been hearing constantly. However, as the cadres are making much ado about being on stand-by and mobilizing Worker’s and Peasant’s Red Guards, the citizens are worrying about their trades.”
“Only the upper makes a noise about the current state and whatever; we don’t care. There are no troubles in the jangmadang these days. It is much calmer now.”
Another source explained the things which really matter in the jangmadang; the price of rice! “The rice price has gone down a bit. Rice produced in North Korea costs 2,200 won and imported rice is around 100-200 won more expensive than domestic rice. The rice price tends to go up gradually from April and in May or June it will skyrocket,” he explained.
Furthermore, “Although a decree telling the people not to deal with Chinese domestic and industrial products in the jangmadang, only in state-run stores, was handed down to the people, they still sell them openly in the jangmadang. There are not enough goods in state-run stores and they are quite expensive,” the source complained.
The source released people’s thoughts about the current, allegedly “strained” state of affairs, “It’s just empty words. It’s not like they (the North’s regime) are going to do something. Now, people say they just wish a war would break out. We don’t care!”
