[imText1]Conditions in North Korea have become more harsh recently. In spite of the public executions on March 1st and 2nd, which took place in order to deter people from crossing the border, people did not stop crossing the Tuman River. In Onsung, a People’s Cell, which is a group of about thirty families, all left their home for business or for defection, while their children left in search for food, leaving town entirely empty.
The inflation rate is so high that even the high level officials are out to start businesses. Those who are only devoted to their official “work” are called “number one fools.” Even if they receive wages, it is only enough to buy 2kg of rice. Thus, it is difficult to meet basic needs for food and clothes, unless they run a “business.” In the Sino-Korean border areas, where South Korean goods are easily circulated, there as been a visible increase of North Koreans, even from the capital city of Pyongyang, who come to buy the goods to sell in their home country.
According to a woman in her 50’s, whom The Daily NK reporter met, “there are people visible talking on South Korea cellular phones with cameras.” The privileged lifestyles of the people who run a “business,” in trading illegal goods has reached an uncontrollable level.
The woman at the border’s daughter is currently in South Korea and she contacted her daughter and was able to defect to China. She has 6,000 Yuans and $200 in cash with her. Her reason for defection was “since the family in hometown already has what they need to survive, I defected because I heard that my daughter gave a birth to a child and I was worried. Everyone in North Korea knows that cellular phone communication is possible with South Korea,” she added.
A Money Driven Nation
The following is from an interview with Chang Soon Ho (pseudo name, age 37). Mr. Chang is visiting his uncle in Yenji, China, for business.
Since you were born in Huiryeong, have you heard about the March 1st public execution?
I watched the public execution too. The executed people are not well known in Huiryoeng. Since those who actually run big businesses do it through government offices, they are safe, but they (the executed) did not earn that much to deserve to be executed.
All the others tried together were workers and the executed ones are how did not have power or connections to those who would take them out after they were arrested, so they could not escape a poor death. Public executions did not take place after 2000 officially. However, during the inspections that lasted about three months to crackdown on anti-regime groups at the end of the last year, one guy was caught as an example. There are many cases like that (human trafficking) in the border area, but only those people who were caught were executed. They had bad luck.
Were people afraid after the public execution took place?
People are consumed with trying to survive, so they do not have time to be afraid. When I was leaving a number of people were caught for “crossing the river” or defecting, but they did not have any other choice because they were starving. People do not listen to those who shout about Kim Jong Il and the Party. Although gunshots ring out across the land to instill fear in the hearts of the people, the people would only turn back and think about other ways that they could defect to China. They are driven one thought, that “there is nothing you can believe in but money.”
Do not security patrol arrest those illegally crossing the river?
Security patrols would not kill the people that they know well. They are not fond of killing the people from their own hometowns. During the last inspection, which was for anti-regime activities, the command came down from the Central Party and they could not help it. They had to execute border crossers as they were being watched. There are too many people who cross the border. Every other house is empty, so how could the authorities arrest all of them? There are too many to handle. I heard that an entire People’s Cell in Onsung left.
Occasionally Security patrols and even the officials visit the houses of those who defected to ask, “Are there any cigarettes? Do you have some money?” and try to extort goods from them, in return for leaving them alone. Once the officials said that the Security Department was being developed and asked us to contribute to its development. When we gave them 100 Yuans, so they were appeased and returned to their posts.
Do high level officials also do business?
Even the high level officials go around seeking out business opportunities. Since they believe they could always resign from their positions, they think of ways to make lots of money. Although they do not run “businesses,” openly, they make money by protecting Chinese descendents living in North Korea or North Koreans who possess big businesses.
South Korean Cellular Phones with Cameras Used
How is the current market situation?
The living conditions of the people in Huiryeong have improved compared with previous times. Those who do have money have a lot of it, while those who do not seem to have nothing at all. Prices are increasing every day and life is increasingly difficult.
Average people who are capable of doing business according to currency fluctuations with dollars run pretty good businesses, but those who are not able to host successful businesses and can only raise pigs at home are already starving. By 2002, all the kotjebi, who are begging children, disappeared. Yet, they have now returned. During the “march of tribulation,” all the kotjebi died. The new kotjebi we see now are children of age four and younger.
Are people allowed to do business without going to their (official) workplaces?
All the official factories have stopped operating. Even if the people went to work, the government does not give them rice or money. Do you know who is presently known as the “number one fool?” It is those people who actually go to work without receiving rice or money. If they do an attendance check and sign off for the work they must do, which is often called “8.3,” those who pay 2,000 North Korean won do not have to work.
What do people think about South Korea?
Do people know people in South Korea lives well?
Everyone knows South Korea is well off. People like the clothes, food, and everything else made in South Korea. Especially for clothes, many sellers from Pyongyang come to buy South Korean clothes. They come by train and buy in large quantities. Sometimes they would even buy all of the plaid shirts and cotton pants available.
I heard that “Made in Korea” tags are prohibited
Products from Yanji province in China tagged written in Korean so it is hard to distinguish. When the names of the factories include names of cities such as “Seoul” or “Busan,” they cut off the tags before them sell them. But those tags are not a problem. Sons of the city Party cadres walk around only in South Korean clothes. Moreover, all the houses have rice or corn bags from South Korea. They admire South Korea that it can send aid to North Korea because they have more than they need to survive.
Are there many Chinese cellular phones in North Korea?
There were many who used cellular phones even in my town. At first, only the Chinese descendents walked around with cellular phones and showed off with their old “Nokia.” Now, North Koreans use South Korean cell phones with digital cameras attached. When they have an (phone) appointment with someone in South Korea, they turn on the phone and talk secretly.
A few days ago, someone I knew got arrested for being a cell phone defector. This is why most keep the cellular phones turned off until they need to use it and then, they only talk secretly under their comforters after locking all the doors of their home.
