North Korea has been exceptionally generous in handing out provisions ahead of this year’s holiday marking late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s 80th birthday on Feb. 16.
North Korea has long lent particular significance to anniversaries in multiples of 10.
According to a Daily NK source in Pyongyang on Tuesday, North Korea’s Central Committee issued an earlier order calling for additional holiday provisions through Feb. 14 after the initial provision ended on Feb. 10. In particular, North Korea designated the last day of the additional provision a “half-day” to ensure that all households receive their provisions.
In every district of Pyongyang, locals have flocked to industrial goods shops and food stores to receive items and ingredients provided for the holiday.
The source said provisions are ordinarily provided per household, but this time, they are being provided per person, and in much greater amounts than before. With families receiving even more than they did in 2012, when Kim marked his 70th birthday, the source said people are calling this the best year in terms of gifts since 1992, when they received a clock with a picture of Mt. Paekdu, a blanket, and material to make traditional Korean clothing.
This time around, North Korea provided each person with two pairs of undergarments, four bars of soap, two tubes of toothpaste, two toothbrushes, 10 rolls of toilet paper, and a blanket. North Koreans are apparently quite pleased with this year’s cache, receiving many more items than previous years, and on a per-person basis at that.
Above all, people are especially pleased with the undergarments, which are of such high quality that people think they have been imported since “North Korea cannot produce such [good quality] textiles.”
The authorities provided foodstuffs on a per-person rather than per-household basis, too, said the source. Specifically, they provided 300 grams of soybean oil, 500 grams of soy sauce, two kilograms of soybean paste, 300 grams of pork, 10 eggs, five kilograms of frozen fish, along with 500 grams of sugar and 300 grams of seasoning imported from China.
The source said families have quite a bit of seafood since the authorities provided fish on Jan. 1, too. He said since many families could not make kimchi this year, even in Pyongyang, people are happy that so much fish was provided that they can eat salted fish instead of kimchi as a side dish for rice.
North Korean authorities also provided fruits and vegetables like cabbage, crown daisies, spinach, frozen persimmons, frozen pears, and frozen apples, as well as 500 grams of wheat flour, 500 grams of glutinous rice, and other grains.
The source said that the provision came amid empty markets due to the closure of North Korea’s borders, leading many people to say they wish everyday could be such a holiday. He also said some people are cautioning that they should use and eat what they receive sparingly.
Many North Koreans are expecting another holiday distribution ahead of the Apr. 15 holiday marking the birthday of national founder Kim Il Sung.
However, the source said some people speculate that the authorities will provide little or nothing in April. They note that the authorities broke with practice and provided provisions in February this year rather than on Apr. 15 as in the past.
He added that people wonder when they started depending on holiday provisions, and that they would be happy if the authorities simply provided regular rations going forward.
For their additional provision, Central Committee cadres received material for summer and winter suits, two pairs of shoes, material for summer and winter traditional Korean clothing for women, and a makeup set from the Sinuiju Cosmetics Factory. They also received 30 kilograms of soybeans, 20 kilograms of glutinous rice, 10 kilograms of wheat flour, 10 kilograms of soybean oil, 10 kilograms of sugar, two kilograms of seasonings, 20 kilograms of pork, two ducks, two chickens, and 40 kilograms of frozen fish.
The source added that Central Committee cadres also got a gift box with fresh and dried fruit, canned goods, honey, and other foodstuffs. He said that in the past, only specific cadres received gift boxes, which were typically big and filled with many items. This year, however, all Central Committee cadres received boxes, which were smaller and filled with fewer items.
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