North Korea’s ambitious factory construction drive has created a black market economy, with workers stealing cement, lumber and steel to trade with cash-strapped locals desperate for home repairs.
A source in North Pyongan province told Daily NK recently that people in Yomju county are using construction materials stolen by workers to tackle long-delayed home repairs.
According to the source, workers and managers living at the construction site are trading materials taken from the worksite — including cement, lumber, rebars and nails — to locals in exchange for cash, cigarettes, alcohol and food.
The illicit trades have grown out of friendly relationships that developed between workers and locals during the lengthy construction project.
“The workers frequently interact with the locals during their extended stay at the site and reach mutually beneficial arrangements. There’s a growing desire among workers and locals to help each other out by exchanging whatever materials they have access to,” the source said.
People living near the construction site are using the stolen cement, lumber, and rebars to improve their living conditions — repairing floors, stoves and chimneys and rebuilding collapsed sheds.
The types and amounts of materials locals can acquire depend on their individual financial situations. But even struggling people are trading food for whatever materials they can get and making minor home improvements.
With skilled construction workers available who are willing to work for modest fees, locals see this as an ideal opportunity to catch up on home repairs.
Police look the other way
While it’s obviously illegal for construction workers to steal materials and trade them with locals, and some workers have been caught and punished, the black market in construction materials — a long-standing tradition in North Korea — remains widespread because police generally look the other way as long as they get their cut.
“In the end, law enforcement is just an excuse for shakedowns. It has long been understood here that people should make their own way in life without interfering in others’ business,” the source said.
“The reality is that North Koreans no longer think it’s shameful to look out for themselves, and many are willing to steal as long as nobody is watching.”
