Several women in Pyongyang have been murdered in recent weeks by unidentified assailants who may have been trying to steal money to stave off hunger, Daily NK has learned.
According to a source in the city yesterday, one of the women was stabbed in Pyongchon District after refusing to hand over money to an assailant, who remains unidentified.
The source told Daily NK that similar incidents targeting women had occurred in Sosong District (Dec. 3) and Daedonggang District (Dec. 8). According to the source, the women were attacked by unidentified assailants who were hiding in dark alleyways.
The source said that the women were all housewives in their 40s and were heading home after a day’s work at local markets.
North Korean investigators are currently working to try and solve the cases, but have largely failed to make any progress. Their failure to solve the cases has led to serious concern among many Pyongyang residents, according to the source.
“There’s rumors that there’s no difference between dying because of COVID-19 or dying of hunger,” the source said. “Give we’re right before the start of the new year, [the recent incidents] may have been perpetrated by people prepared to do anything not to starve in the new year.”
