Despite North Korea recently declaring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hyesan authorities shortened market opening hours starting Oct. 1, Daily NK has learned.
According to a Daily NK source in Yanggang Province on Thursday, operating hours at Hyesan’s markets were shortened by two hours starting on Oct. 1. Markets previously opened from 2 PM to 7 PM; now they are open only from 2 PM to 5 PM.
While announcing the change, the authorities explained that the changing market hours reflect changes in nighttime curfew hours for the winter season.
In an August 2020 announcement by the Ministry of Social Security in regions on the China-North Korea border, North Korea set curfew hours from 8 PM to 5 AM in the summer season (April to September) and 6 PM to 7 AM in the winter season (October to March).
Throughout the pandemic, North Korean authorities have been restricting movement in the border region, citing the need to stop COVID-19. Market opening times have also been adjusted to correspond with the summer and winter curfews.
North Korea declared “victory” in its war on COVID-19 during a meeting to review national emergency quarantine efforts in August, transitioning the nation from the “maximum emergency epidemic prevention system” to a “normal quarantine system.”
However, restrictions on the public continue, ostensibly as part of attempts by the government to prevent a rise in coronavirus cases.
Given this situation, some people in North Korea are claiming that the government’s declared end of COVID-19 was simply a means to create a favorable environment for the restart of trade, with little connection to the daily lives of the people or returning life to normal.
“Every day, they say we could achieve victory in the fight against the malicious virus thanks to the superior leadership of the Supreme Leader [North Korean leader Kim Jong Un],” said the source. “So people thought the authorities would keep the market hours as they were. But contrary to their expectations, the government shortened the market hours going into October. People cannot hide their frustration about this.”
In fact, the source said some people are complaining that if COVID-19 has disappeared like the government has claimed, the authorities should let people do what they need to do to make a living.
“October is when people have to prepare for winter by getting firewood and vegetables to make kimchi, but since they can use the market for only three hours a day, complaints are inevitable,” he said. “You have to ask whether continuing to restrict activities using quarantine efforts as an excuse while ignoring the lives of the people is really helping them.”
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