As word spreads about rising COVID-19 cases in mainland China, North Koreans living near the border are increasingly worried about another potential border closure, Daily NK has learned.
“Word is getting around Hyesan that COVID-19 is surging again in China. Everyone’s on edge—not just smugglers, but regular people too—thinking the border might get shut down again,” a source in Ryanggang province told Daily NK recently.
The anxiety is thick among Hyesan residents. “People are saying there’s been another COVID outbreak in China, and that people are dying from it,” one person said.
“That’s probably why they stopped the government-backed smuggling,” another person in the city noted.
“At this point, I’m worried they’ll shut down all the unofficial trade,” said a third.
Official smuggling operations have been on hold after China ramped up border inspections and surveillance recently. With COVID cases climbing again in China, North Koreans are getting increasingly anxious about the possibility of all cross-border trade grinding to a halt once more.
Smugglers in Hyesan believe there’s a real chance the North Korean government will seal the border again if the Chinese outbreak gets worse.
Some entrepreneurs are scrambling to get their hands on whatever money they can to smuggle in as much merchandise as possible before any potential closure.
“So many North Koreans nearly starved when the border was closed for years during COVID. People who watched rice prices shoot up from 4,000 won per kilogram to 10,000 or even 20,000 won are determined not to get caught off guard this time,” the source explained.
“Smugglers are trying to figure out what to do next while keeping tabs on how COVID is spreading. Some are afraid that money they’ve already sent to China for goods might get stuck there. They’re so stressed they can barely sleep.”
Fears of another heavy hit to the economy
When COVID-19 started spreading in January 2020, North Korea declared a health emergency and completely sealed its borders. This triggered chaos and panic buying in markets across the country, causing prices for basic necessities and imported goods to double or triple overnight.
As supplies dwindled, markets essentially shut down, and they still haven’t fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels. This year, markets had been showing signs of life again thanks to active smuggling operations in Hyesan and other border towns.
“While private smuggling has completely disappeared, goods are still coming in through government-approved smugglers, which has really helped get products back into the markets. Some vendors were finally starting to feel hopeful,” the source said.
But with signs that China and Southeast Asia are experiencing another COVID wave, those hopes are turning into fears about another border shutdown.
“A border closure wouldn’t just hurt a few people—it would affect countless lives here. That’s why rumors about COVID spreading sound so terrifying to North Koreans, especially when official smuggling is already suspended,” the source said.
