Unification Media Group (UMG): It’s time for a weekly recap of North Korea market news with reporter Kang Mi Jin.
Kang Mi Jin (Kang): Food factories all over the country have been working day and night to prepare gift snacks to kindergarten and primary school students in time for Kim Jong Il’s birthday on February 16. Due to labor shortages, some of the workers are being forced to do both the day and night shifts.
Although many countries have problems with labor exploitation, North Korea is on a different level entirely. The North Korean laborers being forced to work the double shifts aren’t even complaining. The extra shifts give them the chance to steal more raw materials from the factory, an opportunity they do not want to squander.
Theft has become a generally accepted practice for state factory cadres and their workers. Both workers and managers alike steal raw materials like flour and sugar this time of year, and at factories that are further along in the production process, the workers steal some of the finished product. It’s also a common occurrence for materials to disappear from the packaging facilities.
There are three times each year when certain factories are tasked with producing state-issued gifts, representing three opportunities to siphon off materials for personal profit. Workers tend to look the other way when they see a colleague stealing something. It’s common knowledge that the cadres get a big cut of the action and the workers get a smaller take.
UMG: So the extra hours are seen as a bigger opportunity to steal from the factories. What else do you have for us today?
Kang: Gifts to celebrate Kim Jong Il’s birthday were distributed on February 14 and 15. Factories in many regions were swamped by children from February 12. The gift snacks were stored by local government agencies for a day or two before being handed out.
The snacks are packaged in thin plastic bags, and the smell of taffy candy and fried glutinous rice tends to escape freely. For this reason, the snacks are sometimes eaten by mice and rats if not properly stored. The authorities employ various methods to stop the mice from entering, including protecting them with mounds of sticks and leaves.
One source from Ryanggang Province said that residents in the region were exhausted because they were ordered to go to the mountains to collect twigs from coniferous trees. Despite the difficulty in collecting the twigs, there were few complaints from the adults. Their general attitude is that the effort pays off when their children get snacks and candy.
UMG: Fascinating. Let’s turn to the markets. Any news there?
Kang: I spoke with one inside source from North Hamgyong Province on the morning of February 13 who said that cigarette lighters have become a status symbol for North Korean men.
For North Koreans, the need to ask someone to borrow a lighter is seen as somewhat awkward.
Most of the lighters available in North Korea’s markets are gas lighters made in China. Both low and high quality types are available, and the quality of one’s lighter has become a symbol of social status.
UMG: Can you explain a bit more about that?
Kang: There are many different gas lighters available in North Korea’s markets. The cheapest one is a five centimeter gas lighter. The next step up is a magnet lighter. The most expensive gas lighters are roller lighters, which come in three varieties. These three major types come in a diverse array of design choices.
UMG: What’s the difference in price?
Kang: The smallest lighters can’t hold as much gas and are fairly cheap. The cheapest go for 700 KPW (about US $0.09). Mid-range models – including the magnet gas lighters – cost 1,200 KPW (about US $0.15). These are the most popular.
And then there are larger-than-usual gas roller lighters with fancy designs. These sell for about 2,500 KPW (about US $0.30). But they can be a bit cheaper if one purchases ten or more in the border regions. That’s because there’s a larger volume of goods funnelled in from abroad and wholesalers get a small discount.
UMG: Considering the demand, is it safe to say that most North Korean men are smokers?
Kang: In many countries, it has become illegal to smoke in restaurants, subways, and other public spaces. But the same is not true in North Korea. When images of Kim Jong Un visiting kindergartens, military cafeterias, and other places are printed in state media, it’s very common to see him with a cigarette in hand.
Kim Jong Un has been photographed smoking at a children’s hospital and while attending an artistic performance. He also continued to smoke when next to his pregnant wife. That’s how common it is for men to smoke in North Korea. There are even terms describing the various moods in which one indulges in a cigarette break including: boredom smoke, upset smoke, happy smoke, relaxed smoke, and frustrated smoke. I would hazard a guess that 98% of North Korean men smoke.
