A complex in South Pyongan Province’s
Sunchon housing sports and entertainment facilities is said to be nearing
completion after the project was launched last year with the investment of
North Korea’s state trading company ‘Rungra 88’, which falls under the purview
of the Party’s Finance and Accounting Department. Construction of the facility was
put into motion with the goal of raising funds for next year’s 7th party
congress by catering to the new affluent middle class, known as the donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More.
“The sports and culture facilities that Rungra 88 started building along the Taedong River banks last year in June are
close to being finished,” a source in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK on
Thursday. “Not only is the area easy to access from the roads, the surrounding
environment is nice, and there is a cluster of markets nearby as well, making
it a good place for attracting customers.”
“On the surface the complex looks like it’s
a public sports facility for average families and their children with
rollerskating rinks and swimming pools, but in reality, it’s targeting donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More with
the aim of making big money,” the source said.
“It includes modern facilities
like massage parlors, saunas, karaokes, and coffee shops, and these high-end
amenities will easily get donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More to open up their wallets full of dollars,”
she speculated, adding it all comes with the goal of raking in money for the Party convention.
Daily NK crosschecked this information with an independent source in the same province.
The actual manager behind the complex built
in an area known for its great view is said to be an official who runs the
Sunchon branch of Rungra 88. Even before the complex was getting closer to
completion, he had already been heavily involved in operations to secure funds
for the Party such as running a high-end restaurant and a joint-export company
with China for apparel, according to the source.
 Satellite imagery from 2014 showing construction for the entertainment facilities underway. Image: Google Earth |
The apparel company uses fabric from China
to make clothing in the North for exports, and the Sunchon branch of Rungra 88
also is involved in coal exports. From a three-story building, it runs a pizza
joint on the first floor and other high-end restaurants, which also come with
the option of parking in the surrounding spacious lots, said the source.
There are three general markets (Sunchon,
Kangpo, and Yeonpo) near Rungra 88, and it is also where many coal export
trucks pass through, meaning a good number of shops around the area selling
tires, car windshields, and other supplies are run by donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More.
Rungra’s Sunchon operation shares a
history with another state-run enterprise in securing Party funds. It sits in
an area where a steel factory run by Kumchon River Trade Company once stood.
The head of the enterprise, however, was publicly executed in 2007, after
getting caught up in a corruption scandal, despite the massive sums of foreign
currency he was able to rake in through trade with China.
Foreign currency-earning companies under
the Party’s Finance and Accounting Department are tasked with selling items ranging
from coal and minerals, to medicine, alcohol, and health supplements in order
to secure funds for the department. The money is also used to buy holiday gifts
that go to Party cadres in the name of Kim Jong Un.
*The content of this article was broadcast to the North Korean people via Unification Media Group.
