North Korean authorities in Hyesan are investigating how many booths marketplace sellers are operating and confiscating stalls from business people who own more than two, Daily NK has learned.
A source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Tuesday that the commercial bureau of the provincial people’s committee began an investigation in late September focused on how many booths business people in Hyesan’s marketplaces are operating.
“If merchants in Hyesan’s marketplaces have two booths, they have to give one up,” he said.
According to the source, the authorities are conducting the investigation with the goal of taken away booths of business people operating two or more stalls.
Business people with multiple booths are expressing concern that the investigation is being conducted not by market management offices, but by the commercial bureau of the provincial people’s committee.
Moreover, officials from the commercial bureau of the provincial people’s committee are focusing their attention on the booths that sell the highest priced goods, like those peddling manufactured products.
As a result of the investigation, some merchants are scrambling to dispose of their excess booths.
Having purchased several booths with their own money, these business people are trying to sell their extra booths before the authorities use the investigation to confiscate them without compensation. Few people want to buy the stalls, however, which has led to a fall in their sale price.
“The provincial people’s committee plans to give the confiscated booths to the people of Hyesan, distributing them for free to households struggling the most,” said the source. “This was decided during a meeting of the provincial party committee that discussed measures and plans to help households in need.”
However, the source said the provincial party committee’s decision is facing considerable backlash since many merchants in Hyesan’s markets operate two or more booths.
In fact, he said business people are bitterly complaining that the state should formulate measures to help struggling households. They ask, “Why are [the authorities] confiscating booths individuals bought with their own money without compensation and in a coercive way?”
“Merchants with several booths have relationships with powerful market management offices. Technically, it’s illegal to run multiple booths, but sellers don’t even realize if it’s illegal or not because the authorities have never really cracked down on or restricted it,” the source said.
“[The authorities] say it’s an investigation, but really, they’re just forcibly taking booths from rich, powerful merchants,” he said. “Sellers cannot hide their dismay that the authorities confiscating booths the business people bought with their own money.”
