North Korea is compelling party members to contribute household medicine and food, ostensibly for people in quarantine. It appears, however, that people locked in isolation in either facilities or at home are not receiving any support.
A source in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Thursday that with the number of fever cases skyrocketing across several regions of the country, there is insufficient food and medicine to provide to those in quarantine.
“Because of this, each regional party committee is convening emergency meetings and coercing party members to take the lead in sharing their medicine and food,” he said.
North Korea has been suffering from chronic shortages of medicine since the virtual collapse of the country’s medical system after the Arduous March of the 1990s. Those shortages have grown even more acute with the closure of North Korea’s borders after the global outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020.
With North Korean authorities issuing lockdowns for regions and workplaces nationwide following their first official announcement of a COVID-19 outbreak on May 12, purchasing medicine has become challenging for many people.
Faced with this situation, North Korean authorities are forcing party members to cough up household medicine in their possession, ostensibly for “support.” The authorities seem intent on emptying people’s cupboards of medicine that the government cannot supply through the nation’s medical system.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s donation of his own household medicine appears to have influenced the recent call for people to contribute their own drugs. North Korea may be attempting to create an image of the nation overcoming the crisis with the country’s supreme leader at the center; in short, pushing the idea that party members are voluntarily participating in donations after being inspired by Kim’s initiative and example.
In fact, Rodong Shinmun has been encouraging this kind of atmosphere in articles that introduce the stories of officials, workers and ordinary people who are contributing medicine, supplies and cash to those in need. These articles include, “We are Strong Because of These Wonderful Virtues and Customs” (page 5 of Wednesday’s edition) and “Warm Hearts Make the Pain Disappear and Beautify Our Lives” (page 4 of Tuesday’s edition).
North Korea is forcing party members to contribute not only medicine, but also food, the source told Daily NK.
“In the past, the authorities specified how many kilograms of corn and how much money to give per person, but now, they are telling people to give everything they can contribute,” the source said, adding, “Even if they are party members, how can they give what they don’t have? It’s like trying to squeeze water out of dry wood.”
The source said even though party members are struggling, too, the authorities do not seem to care. The government’s pressure on people to just accept “non-tax burdens” is sparking considerable discontent, he claimed.
However, drugs and food that have been collected by the state are apparently not reaching those in quarantine.
People in quarantine facilities are failing to receive even the fever medicine they need, the source said.
“They are receiving just salt water to gargle, so there’s plenty of complaints that if this is how it’s going to be, it would be better to just [leave the isolation facilities],” he added.
Another Daily NK source in North Pyongan Province said families quarantined at home are not being provided meals from the government.
“People who were unable to prepare meals secretly go out at night to the homes of vegetable sellers to buy food to eat,” she said. “Because this often takes place at night, security teams and enforcement squads have been formed to go out at night with guns to prevent people from moving around.”
Daily NK reported earlier this week that some Pyongyang residents were boldly breaking quarantine to purchase food or daily necessities, leading to frequent arrests.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
