In the wake of a series of high-profile defections by North
Korean officials, some cadres are reportedly seeking the advice of fortune
tellers to explore the probability for successful defection. In the face of
frequent purges and punishments under the reign of Kim Jong Un, such
individuals are turning to superstitious acts to allay their fears.
“Recently, quite a few officials have been seeking the
advice of fortune tellers regarding a potential escape from the country. This
is due to the pressure they’re facing and the threat of being purged if they
don’t fulfill the orders handed down by the Central Party,” a source from Ryanggang
Province reported to Daily NK in a telephone conversation on October 4.
“For this reason, more cadres are seeking out fortune
tellers these days, and if a rumor spreads that a certain fortune teller is
talented, high-ranking officials will visit them to seek their insights.”
This development was corroborated by multiple sources in
Ryanggang Province.
In North Korea a pervasive atmosphere of insecurity exists
due to anxieties regarding livelihood, health, and social control. For this
reason, a demand for superstitious practices had already existed, and this has
only grown under the reign of Kim Jong-un, as even the officials tasked with
clamping down on these activities are themselves seeking the advice of shamans.
Acts of superstition that are not officially sanctioned (i.e.
emanating from a source other than the Kim family) is illegal in North Korea.
North Korea’s Penal Code 256 (superstitious practices crime) stipulates that “a person
who engages in superstitious practices in exchange for money or goods shall be
punished with labor training of up to one year.” It also states that “if the
practice outlined in the preceding clause is severe, the person shall be
punished by reeducation and hard labor for up to three years.”
In reality, residents who are caught paying fortune tellers
are not normally subject to the legal penalties stipulated. Instead they are
put through rigorous ideological training that emphasizes a focus on
revolutionary ideas, as they are believed to have drifted from socialist norms.
However, crackdowns for these acts are not properly carried out because the
officials in the military and security agents themselves also frequently have
their fortunes read.
“In Ryanggang Province, it’s common knowledge that
officials visit fortune tellers to ask about promotions or relocating
(escaping),” the source continued. “Some of the more industrious
fortune tellers charge different prices according to the status and rank of the
client.”
It has become normal for the families of cadres who are
planning to escape the country to select the date according to the advice of a
prominent fortune teller It costs about 10,000 KPW for ordinary citizens to ask
about health or marriage issues, but when it comes to defections for officials,
the price skyrockets to approximately 600,000 KPW.
Given that the current market price of rice in North Korea
is approximately 5,000 KPW per kilogram, 600,000 KPW is sufficient to buy 120
kg of rice. In regards to this, the source added, “On the surface it seems
like a lot of money, but price is just a detail because when cadres in North
Korea decide to escape the country, it means they are betting everything they
have.”
