Trade representatives from Rason are purchasing large quantities of shellfish and other seafood from coastal areas of South Hamgyong province for export to China, creating temporary employment for local residents despite international sanctions banning such commerce.
Workers from Rason-based trading companies have remained stationed in Hongwon and Sinpo counties since late January, buying frozen fish, salted fish, and various shellfish including clams, according to a South Hamgyong province source who spoke with Daily NK recently. The seafood is transported to Rason in dedicated vehicles before being shipped across the border.
“They haven’t returned home since arriving after the solar new year,” the source said. “They’re actively moving around trying to select high-quality products because poor quality items will fetch lower prices in China.”
Purchasing activity intensified in late January as Chinese demand increased ahead of the lunar new year, the source added. Chinese merchants typically seek North Korean seafood during this holiday period when domestic consumption rises.
The trade has generated income across multiple sectors of the local economy. Wholesale seafood dealers and people hired for packaging and loading operations have secured relatively stable earnings from the export activities, creating a supply chain that benefits producers, distributors and processors.
Packaging work provides temporary relief
Workers handling packaging and transport duties earn 1,000 to 3,000 North Korean won ($0.11 to $0.33) per day, according to the source. For people who struggled financially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the work has provided modest economic relief.
“People whose circumstances were so difficult after COVID that they were ‘spinning spider webs in their mouths’ now have some breathing room in terms of making a living,” the source said.
However, the income stream remains temporary and seasonal. Chinese buyers typically suspend operations from the lunar new year through the Lantern Festival, causing work to decrease sharply during that period.
“While seafood will be distributed to other domestic regions that aren’t near the ocean, those volumes can’t compare to export quantities, so there’s no avoiding people seeing a decrease in their income,” the source said.
North Korean seafood products including herring, flounder, pollack and saffron cod, along with crustaceans and shellfish, are currently being sold in Hunchun, Jilin province, China. Salted fish is packaged individually while frozen fish is distributed in 15-kilogram lots.
“Recently, seafood from North Korea has been sold online as well,” said a Chinese source with knowledge of cross-border trade. “Smugglers are bringing in various seafood products ahead of the Spring Festival.”
Crustaceans such as crabs represent particularly high-demand items among North Korean seafood entering Chinese markets. Chinese consumers favor wild-caught North Korean crabs over domestically farmed varieties, which cost more but offer inferior taste.
“There are far more farmed crabs than wild ocean crabs in China, and they taste worse than North Korean crabs while being more expensive,” the source said. “North Korean crabs are popular among consumers because they’re competitively priced relative to their taste, and sales are actually quite good.”
The U.N. Security Council banned all North Korean seafood exports through Resolution 2371 in 2017, determining that foreign currency earned from such sales funds the regime’s nuclear and missile development programs. Despite the prohibition, North Korean seafood continues to circulate openly in Chinese markets.
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