Increased Drug Addicts, No Longer Can We Wait and Watch – Part I

A North Koreans tradesman Hong Sung Ki (pseudonym, 46) from Hamheung, North Hamkyung died from an overdose of heroin while on a business trip in Shinuiju in April, reported the DailyNK. (June 27th report)

Further, in the same town of Shinuiju, 4 men sat gambling and taking philopon throughout the night, while their wives provided sugar water as their husband’s throat had become irritated from the philopon.

Around the same time at another home in Chongjin. A family of 3 including a 17 year old daughter gather together inhaling philopon. A North Korean-Chinese tradesman Lee who is with the family asks, “Do you like philopon that much?” as which someone replies, “You should try it too. It feels so good when your head becomes clear!”

According to testimonies by North Korean tradesmen, drugs can be obtained in North Korea through only a few contacts. That’s much how the number of drug addicts have increased since the food crisis in North Korea. While drugs would only be available to elite officials and the upper class, nowadays, drugs have expanded across to tradesmen and the average person.

In the city of Hamheung, South Hamkyung, the drug situation has become so severe that 1 in 10 people of the upper class are addicts. There are even many cases where people use drugs as a substitute to medicine.

Kim Jong Il and officials to blame

The root of North Korea’s drug addicts lies with Kim Jong Il. In the past, Kim Jong Il operated an opium business to encourage foreign currency in the nation. All manpower, equipment and fertilizer assistance from South Korea was invested in the production of opium.

Since 2000, the sale of North Korea’s drugs on the international market began to slide and as a result, drugs became more available domestically. Then, North Korean drug exporters began to secretly distribute the drugs within North Korea. It is Kim Jong Il who is to blame for North Korea’s drug situation.

Further, the manufacture of drugs within the home has increased in addition to the drugs produced by North Korean authorities. Undoubtedly, North Korea’s governmental officials are found to be connected to these cases.

In North Korea, the most popular drug philopon’s raw material sells at a market rate of $3,000 for 1kg. In a country where citizens find every day living difficult, $3,000 is an amount they could never even acquire in a lifetime. When this drug is refined, it sells for double the cost. Furthermore, the cost doubles if the drug is delivered to rural districts and escalates even higher when taken abroad to China.

Average citizens, the greatest abusers of drugs

While it is hard enough to earn $1 a day, it is impossible for average North Koreans to invest thousands of dollars on drug manufacture. Further, in a closed society such as North Korea, it is difficult to evade the eyes of authorities. North Korean drug production and distribution is operated by groups of drug dealers. In addition, supporting these dealers from behind are rows of corrupt governmental officials.

In one sense, these people provide the raw materials to manufacture the drugs and also ensure they reap in the margins of distribution. In order to resolve North Korea’s drug issue, first there is a need to penalize corrupt officials.

In March 2006, the People’s Security Agency announced an order against, “Anti-nationalistic acts such as illegal drug trade.” The order stated that people caught would be punished regardless of status, merits or position.

Following this order, public executions were sentenced to people caught distributing drugs. Drugs were discovered in the home of Hoiryeong city’s chairwoman of the Women’s Unit who was apprehended by the Sacurity Agency.

Nonetheless, it is still not easy to enforce this kind of proclamation because of the many corrupt officials. (continued)