The new North Korean definition of affluence

Intensified crackdowns on illegal South
Korean electronics in the North have failed to deter people from getting their
hands on home appliances produced by major global companies like Samsung and LG
Electronics. Their popularity has trickled down from donju [new affluent middle
class] to laymen, with some of the richest donju even using direct overseas
purchases to evade government surveillance. 

“People prefer South Korean electronics
such as ‘Cuckoo’ brand rice cookers, and it’s becoming more the trend for Party
cadres to have at least two to three products from the South [in their homes],”
a source from North Hamkyung Province told Daily NK on Wednesday.
 

“There has been heated demand for South
Korean electronics among residents in Pyongyang and other cities, he added,
noting that those scrambling to procure the goods are no longer only the elite,
but also ordinary people who consider having products like ‘Cuckoo’ rice
cookers as a trendy option over Japanese goods.  
 

Products from the South are labeled in
Korean, making them much easier to operate, and their 220V power voltage needs no conversion, unlike Japanese goods, which run on 100V. According
to the source, three products confer status as a “well-off” household in North
Korea these days: a “Cuckoo” rice cooker,  a dehumidifier, and a Samsung
flatscreen television.  
 

Goods from the South are confiscated in
the markets, but the vast majority of electronics that come through Sinuiju and
Rasun are directly delivered to homes without passing through markets or
shops, according to the source, who explained that delivery men are available at the ready to set you up with an array of goods from the South–so long as you can pay, that is.

“Once you get the goods inside your home,
even if they’re from the South it’s not a problem,” the source said. “In the
case of the ‘Cuckoo’ rice cooker, the voice guide uses an accent from Seoul, so
it’s quite fascinating. People do, though, take extra precautions in case it becomes
an issue by covering it up with a piece of cloth.”

In the past, Japanese products used to
enter the country through the Wonsan Port on the Samjiyon and Mangyongbong
ferry. Now, South Korean goods are being brought in bulk through China’s
Dandong and the North’s border town Sinuiju. This is why ‘Sinuiju goods’ are
now considered the equivalent of ‘South Korean goods.’ Included in those
shipments are televisions, dehumidifiers, rice cookers, microwaves, fans,
computers, and also furniture such as wardrobes and beds.

Following the rise in popularity of goods
from the South, many–among themselves, needless to say–criticize the state for
bringing in used goods from Japan, when those produced in the South are
convenient and superior. Party cadres frequently comment on the the standards
of products from south of the border, pointing out how patently obvious the
country’s development is.  
 

“South Korean goods are also brought in
from cadre members who go on business trips overseas,” another source within
the province said. “Officials buy South Korean goods on their way back into the
country and hand them over to vendors standing by at airports or train
stations. It’s becoming a trend for the vendors to then visit homes
individually and sell the goods.”

*The content of this article was broadcast to the North Korean people via Unification Media Group.