The Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea has been conducting intensive inspections of trading companies in North Pyongan Province.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Daily NK source in North Pyongan Province said that the atmosphere in the province’s trading agencies “has been brutal as the central committee recently started inspections as soon as the Ministry of State Security’s intensive inspections, which have been going on since May, came to an end.” He said the trading agencies “have been complaining that it’s hard to work because all they do is submit to inspections when trade hasn’t even recovered to pre-COVID levels.”
North Pyongan Province is home to many foreign exchange-earning businesses because it includes border regions that enjoyed brisk trade with China before COVID-19, including Sinuiju, Uiju, Pyokdong, Sakju, and Changsong County.
Given the vibrant trade and smuggling activities in North Pyongan Province due to its geographical location, the North Korean authorities conduct intense investigations and crackdowns in the region whenever they engage in trade inspections.
Government concerned about inflow of outside information
The central committee’s latest inspection focused on so-called ttalbo.
Ttalbo – a Korean term meaning “packages that arrive attached to others” – are items privately smuggled by traders or trading agencies hidden among government-approved imports.
The central committee launched the inspection because it believes these ttalbo packages often contain Chinese-made cell phones, SIM cards, and SD cards with illegal recordings – items the state is wary of.
Authorities appear to be very concerned that devices or content that allow North Koreans to access outside information are entering the country through packages smuggled in by trading companies.
“Trading agencies can’t make money by only importing what the state approves, nor can they pay their state quotas, so they have to secretly import items that individuals or organizations want,” the source said. “That’s why there’s smuggling, but many ttalbo are confiscated because of this inspection.”
Traders not only have their privately smuggled items confiscated as a result of the inspection, but also face hefty fines, the source said.
Some merchants even say that the latest inspection is not only aimed at curbing smuggling, but also at collecting the supplies and cash that the authorities need.
In fact, central committee inspectors often confiscate high-end construction materials or equipment after taking issue with how they were imported, sparking widespread talk that the inspectors launched the intensive probe into high-end material imports to secure items they must provide to their superiors.
“There is also talk that the inspectors are using the probe as an opportunity to secure construction materials or supplies for activities to serve the supreme leader,” the source said, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “That’s how unhappy people are about this inspection.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous for security reasons.
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