A man in his 60s was beaten to death in Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province, in mid-December, Daily NK has learned.
A source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Friday that the man, identified by his family name of Pak, was killed by an assailant on Dec. 15. “The assailant also stole 10 kilograms of corn, and people are shocked that Pak was killed, too,” he said.
According to the source, Pak’s son and daughter-in-law found him dead on the floor when they returned home from work in the market and contacted the county police.
Pak’s face and body were reportedly covered in dark-blue bruises, and the killer left his footprints on the victim’s clothing.
Pak was living at his son’s home due to economic distress, while the whole family had been living on the income his daughter-in-law earned from selling corn noodles in the market.
Thus, the corn stolen during the incident was important to the family business.
The police and bereaved family members reportedly believe Pak was killed while trying to protect the corn from being stolen. They speculate that he was beaten to death after he put up strong resistance to the burglary. If this is true, it basically means the elderly man lost his life trying to defend 10 kilograms of corn.
The murder also demonstrates how serious North Korea’s food shortages are.
Police in Kilju County have begun searching for the killer by questioning people in the area. However, their investigation is reportedly slow-going given the little evidence to go on.
News of Pak’s death amid the man’s struggles to earn a living is heightening insecurity among local residents of Kilju County, the source said.
“Some people are indirectly criticizing the government’s security measures by saying that nowadays, earning money is important, but stopping thefts is also critical,” he added.
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