Before declaring an end to the country’s COVID-19 crisis, North Korea eased certain travel restrictions on residents of the China-North Korea border region. However, people from other areas of the country are still restricted from entering the border area.
A Daily NK source in Yanggang Province said Friday that Hyesan authorities received an order in early August that stated people can travel to areas other than those along the China-North Korea border.
“People’s economic activities have picked up because they can travel as long as they have a certificate stamped by the head of their neighborhood watch unitNeighborhood watch units (inminban, people's units) are Nort... More and the police officer and security officer in their district,” he said.
On Aug. 10, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared “victory” in the country’s battle against COVID-19 during a meeting to review the nation’s emergency quarantine efforts. Based on the source’s report, North Korea appears to have relaxed travel restrictions on border residents in the run-up to the meeting.
Residents of Yanggang Province’s border region can now travel to parts of the province away from the border as long as they have a travel certificate. Before, people in border towns had a tough time leaving their cities or counties; now, with restrictions relaxed somewhat, travel to non-border areas of the province has become easier for them.
The source also noted that people living in Hyesan can now travel to non-border areas such as Pungseo County, Kimhyonggwon County and Paegam County with few restrictions. Of course, they must carry a certificate signed by the head of their neighborhood watch unitNeighborhood watch units (inminban, people's units) are Nort... More and their local police officer and security officer when traveling.
However, people living in the China-North Korea border region are still restricted from going to other border towns, and residents of non-border regions are not allowed to travel to the border region. In short, the authorities continue to strictly prevent people’s access to the border region, likely as a measure to prevent people under severe economic distress from defecting the country.
Meanwhile, some North Koreans say the country quickly declared an end to COVID-19 with a view to quickly reinvigorate trade with China.
A source in China said the two countries held several discussions on restarting trade last month, but the talks ultimately ruptured due to the COVID-19 issue.
“North Korea’s economic situation has grown worse following delays in restarting bilateral trade, so it declared an end to COVID-19, claiming there were no more fever cases,” he said. “[The declaration] appears to be aimed at pushing for a quick restart to trade with China.”
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