[imText1]North Korea customs at Shinuiju is under strict control by Central Committee of North Korea Workers Party.
An inside source from Shinuiju said on the 4th, “Authorities are currently undergoing investigations at Shinuiju customs, looking for tax evasions and illicit acts. The parties subject to these crimes include customs officers at Shinuiju customs and merchants engaging in North Korea-China trade.”
The source added that the investigations had virtually terminated North Korea-China trade between Shinuju and Dandong.
Shinuiju customs is critically important for North Korea as 80% of food and daily necessary goods between North Korea and China are imported and exported from here.
According to Kim Young Hee (pseudonym), a North Korea-China tradeswoman in Shinuiju, “Trade merchants have given up on trade and are in a state of panic because of authorities making investigations at Shinuiju.”
Kim said “At times like this, keeping is a low profile is the way to survive” and expressed her concern, “They have made orders to arrest at least 10 people. Who knows, anyone could be unlucky and caught.” She said “Like there is any trade merchant who does not engage in some sort of illegal act” and retorted “Simply obtaining a permit from authorities is generating money.”
“Prior to authority investigations, on average 50~100 cars would pass through Shinuiju-Dandong, per day. Now the figures have drastically reduced with only 5~10 cars passing through” she said.
Kim continued “There is not an article that falls through the cracks of authority officers. All goods approved by customs, whether it be minerals to seafood is confirmed by authorities… All things are left up to the hands of authority officials.”
On the other hand, the source also informed that despite recent investigations placing trade between North Korea and China in a state of lull, apparently counteracting effects such as dramatic rises in Shinuiju markets have not yet occurred.
