Heavy rains in North Korea’s Ryanggang province have led to a surge in serious injuries among people harvesting pine nuts, with many Hyesan residents falling from trees in Kim Jong Suk and Samsu counties, resulting in potentially life-altering injuries.
A man in his 50s from the Chun neighborhood of Hyesan broke several ribs and an ankle in a fall while picking pine nuts in Kim Jong Suk County on Aug. 23, according to a source in the province on Monday, speaking anonymously.
The man was taken to a county hospital and then transported to a hospital in Hyesan, where he is awaiting surgery. However, his injuries are so severe that he may have to use crutches for the rest of his life.
Moreover, his surgery will cost a substantial amount of money, arousing the sympathy of locals familiar with the man and his family’s financial situation.
“The surgery is expected to cost at least 400 to 500 Chinese yuan. Since pine nut gathering usually brings in about 200 yuan, the man had been trying to contribute to the family’s finances when he had this accident. The saddest part of the whole thing is that he may have to rely on crutches for the rest of his life.”
Four hundred to 500 yuan is enough money to buy 140 – 180 kilograms of rice at North Korean marketplaces. In short, that is an intimidating sum for ordinary North Koreans, who struggle to afford a single kilogram of rice.
Accidents compound hardships for struggling families
On Aug. 20, a man in his 30s in the Masan neighborhood of Hyesan injured his back in a fall while picking pine nuts in Samsu County.
The man’s family had been barely making a living with what his wife earned from a street stall. In pine nut season, the man had gone out to pick some nuts to do his part for the family but ended up injuring himself.
The Masan man is currently recuperating at home because his family can’t afford to admit him to a hospital.
Since most Hyesan residents who go to other counties to pick pine nuts are already hard up, an injury imposes an even greater financial burden on them, along with the physical pain, the source said.
“It wouldn’t be so bad if these people could receive decent treatment after their accidents, but money is so tight that they try to treat themselves with folk remedies without dreaming of seeing a doctor.
“The government likes to brag about the superiority of socialism with its policy of free medical care, but the fact is that people have no chance of getting treated without money.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
