As North Korea tightens restrictions on the use of cell phones to prevent information from entering or leaving the country, trade officials are having trouble communicating with overseas traders. Under these conditions, trade officials in North Korea have recently been using email more frequently, Daily NK has learned.
A source inside North Korea told Daily NK on Jan. 25 that North Korean trade officials have greatly increased their use of email in their work, such as requesting quotes and placing orders for imports from overseas traders.
North Korea’s Ministry of State Security has recently intensified crackdowns on Chinese-made cell phones, forcing trade officials to turn to email to communicate with Chinese traders.
The North Korean government’s ban on the use of Chinese-made cell phones is aimed at preventing information leaks, illegal remittances, and defections, but it has had the unintended consequence of hampering regime-approved trade activities, the source said.
“Talking on the phone with Chinese traders, even for trade purposes, is strictly illegal. Trade officials can’t do their jobs for fear of being arrested by the Ministry of State Security,” the source said.
Trade officials used to regularly contact traders in China using Chinese-made cell phones, but that is no longer possible when the Ministry of State Security is determined to catch anyone using a Chinese-made cell phone, regardless of the purpose.
As a result, trade officials are using email as their primary means of communicating with overseas traders.
According to the source, trade officials with official trade permits have computers with Internet access in their offices. These computers are the only ones from which they can send email.
Because North Korean authorities can view all of the trade officials’ email communications with overseas traders, they encourage trade officials to use email instead of Chinese-made cell phones, which are illegal.
“The orders are to conduct trade under the eyes of the Workers’ Party,” the source said.
Email is not a perfect solution
Using email has its drawbacks for trade officials: they have to keep a record of every time they use the computer, and it prevents them from slipping items for other companies or their personal business into the items requested by the authorities. But trade officials still use email because it is the only way they can get their work done, the source said.
Another disadvantage of email is the lack of instant communication, which means that transactions take longer to arrange.
“Email can’t be sent at any time, and replies don’t come immediately. That means it takes longer, and you can only order the items the state wants,” the source said.
“Trade officials are complaining that though they thought trade restrictions would be eased in 2024, things are getting even harder for them.”
Translated by David Carruth. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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