Squid fishermen intending to get to work in
the East Sea have had their businesses put on hold by the “200-Day Battle” and
the extra burden required to bypass it. Cadres, for their part, are
effortlessly collecting revenue from residents who depend on squid fishing to sustain them for the year.
A source in South Hamgyong Province told
Daily NK on June 22 that while squid season has started in earnest on the
eastern coast of North Korea, unlike past years, factory enterprise employees
have been blocked from going out on the water because of stipulations related
to the “200-Day Battle.”
“Consequently, residents are required to pay
bribes to the relevant cadres [in exchange for time] to catch squid. Others,
unable to afford the requisite bribes, are finding excuses [fabricated medical
records, proof of employment change, etc.] for sanctioned work leave or
outright resignation,” he said.
“Fishing instruments can be pricey, costing
hundreds of thousands of North Korean won. And then on top of this, it can cost
millions of North Korean won to get all the requisite signatures, including
from the head of the work group, the manager, and the factory [Party]
chairperson. After this, you need to obtain a sea entry permit from the State
Security Department, which also costs money.”
In this fashion, many fisherman are digging
deeper into their pockets to bribe cadres, making it harder for them to eke out
a living. “The authorities are using the ‘200-Day Battle’
as a pretext to extort money from the residents, he said, adding that most people regard squid fishing as a veritable “battle to live” and the “200-Day Battle” as a gratuitous burden.
In coastal regions,
namely North and South Hamgyong Provinces and Kangwon Province, most residents
make their living by fishing between June to October, surviving on the profits
in the intervening months. A thriving squid population and relaxed
regulations made last year a particularly successful one for North Koreans, and
this year they had hoped to expect more of the same; however, only those with
enough funds to navigate the corrupt bureaucracy blocking them from going out
to sea will prevail this year.
In fact, university students are even
issuing money to professors and other university elites for permission to skip class
and participate in the business. “The duration of time students are excused
from school is commensurate with the amount of money offered. To maximize their
excused time off, students are approaching donjuLiterally "masters of money," donju refers to people who hav... More (nouveau riche) in order to secure
loans,” he explained.
Portside towns have also drawn in toll
processors, panic buyers, and other workers looking to get involved in the squid
fishing industry. Thousands of people from cities including Sinpo and
Dancheonhang in South Hamgyong Province or as far as away as Pyongyang gather
at seaside towns to search for jobs as crew members on the fishing expeditions,
creating a confusing and bustling atmosphere, according to an additional source in South Hamgyong Province.
At present, the source added, seaside regions house
more workers from outside the area than local ones, an environment unlikely to change for the duration of the squid fishing season. Some have even sold off the rights to
their home in order to purchase 8-horsepower wooden ships and rent a home or
room in the vicinity of the docks.
