North Korean authorities recently ordered a tough crackdown on the sales of foreign-made and privately produced electronic equipment in local markets and is moving forward with efforts to confiscate all of these items, Daily NK has learned.
“The government believes the use of foreign-made electronics and souped-up DIY electronics is bad for the country’s energy situation,” a source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Wednesday. “The country’s Cabinet has therefore ordered a tough crackdown on their use among the population.”
According to a source, North Korean authorities have recently taken party, administrative, and legal agencies to task for insufficiently implementing government policy to conserve energy as North Koreans continue to “overuse” electricity in 2022, the second year of the current five-year economic development plan.
In particular, North Korea ordered a crackdown on the use of foreign-made electronics and DIY electronics that suck up state electricity, blaming them for the failure of the state economy.
North Korean authorities further pointed out that while almost all North Koreans nationwide use Chinese-made or individually made electronics sold in marketplaces, such as rechargers, batteries, transformers, and solar panels, these products do not accord with domestic electricity regulations, causing “great damage” to the power grid. The authorities slammed the items for making party policy to create a low energy economic structure a dead letter.
North Hamgyong Province has banned the sale of foreign-made or individually crafted electronics in markets across the province, including Chongjin, since Mar. 10. Operating under the prosecutor’s office and commercial department of the people’s committee, the authorities have also been confiscating inventories of said products.
In particular, provincial authorities reportedly warned that they would get tough with people who make electronics or sell foreign-made electronics on the sly, immediately turning over people who fail to comply with the ban to the court system for punishment.
The source said the province’s authorities have sent a written warning to every marketplace electronics seller in Chongjin, informing them of the ban on sales of Chinese-made or privately-made electronics and ordering them to wait until they can sell advanced, energy efficient, and domestically produced electronics.
However, the province reportedly decided against immediately confiscating foreign-made solar panels being used by the population. Instead, it will gradually replace them as domestic production of panels increases.
The source said marketplace electronics merchants in Chongjin are unhappy about the crackdown on sales, complaining that the authorities are throttling their business when they have already been suffering.
