[“Good Friends” aims to help the North Korean people from
a humanistic point of view and publishes “North Korea
Today” describing the way the North Korean people live as accurately as
possible. We at Good Friends also hope to be a bridge between the North Korean
people and the world.]
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A Special Amnesty Granted to Six Hundred Government Officials Under Revolutionization Punishment
Export of Marine Products Banned, Except for North Hamgyong
Province
Three Major Steel Mills Experiencing Severe Food Shortage
Soybean Oil Byproduct Import Emergency in the Mines of Gangsung Unit 54
People Swarm to Rajin Sunbong in Search
of Food
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A Special Amnesty Granted to
Six Hundred Government Officials Under Revolutionization Punishment
Six hundred government officials under a
so-called revolutionization punishment were pardoned under a massive amnesty on
April 15, 2012. The pardon was ordered by North Korean leader Kim Jung-un.
Revolutionization is a type of punishment banishing officials who commit errors
to distant mines or farms in a set period of time and have them repent their
wrongdoings. In preparation for the transition of power to Kim Jong-un, more
than 1,000 government officials were allegedly charged with economic crimes and
dismissed or expelled to local agencies, public enterprises, mines, coal mines
or rural communities over the last two or three years. It was a major shake-up
in order for newly appointed officials to recruit new officials from their own
personal pools.
Kim
Jong-un ordered government officials re-investigated who had been sentenced or
were under pretrial interrogations since 2009. His order was to reappoint them
if there was no clear charge or sufficient evidence. “Even when General Kim
Jong-il carried out large scale purging of political troublemakers, he allowed
them to have political life again if they were found competent and win their
loyalty back after his new leadership became stable. As chiefs of ministries
were dismissed on a large scale, competent officials working under them were
also charged in order to prevent trouble. Although they were sentenced or
underwent pretrial interrogations, they were always monitored for
re-appointments later. However, those who were sent to reeducation centers or
those who could not be traced were not freed,” said a Central Party official.
Although most of the pardoned officials were sent back to their positions,
about 100 officials were demoted to a lower position or sent to different ones.
Those whose positions had already been replaced by others could not be
reappointed and became unemployed.
Export
of Marine Products Banned, Except for North Hamgyong Province
The export
of marine products has been banned throughout the country with the exception of
North Hamgyong Province, which is being allowed to export processed marine
products. This exception is the result of a barrage of protests and complaints
from Chinese merchants who invested in the Rajin Marine Productions Factory.
North Hamgyong Province also complained of the hardship resulting from the
drastic reduction in foreign trade. One official of the Central Party reported,
“We received a report from the People’s Assembly of North Hamgyong Province
that poor foreign currency earnings would cause a huge setback in solving the
food crisis. Furthermore, many people will starve due to the province’s
infertile soil and small amount of arable land, and they worry about an
increase of desperate defectors putting their lives at risk despite heightened
border regulation. North Hamgyong Province is allowed to export processed
marine products rather than being banned from export of all marine products
like the rest of the country, but if their situation worsens, it might be
unfavorable for the domestic situation because it is near the border area.” On
the other hand, trading companies and processing companies involved with marine
products elsewhere in the country are facing hardship because their foreign
currency earnings are presently interrupted. Doing business with the domestic
market alone cannot provide for wages and maintenance of fishing equipment
including ships. Providing food for the fishermen seems to be an especially
serious issue.
Three
Major Steel Mills Experiencing Severe Food Shortage
Three major steel mills in North Korea are suffering
from food shortages. A large number of people are dying of hunger at the
Hwanghae steel mill in North Hwanghae Province and also at the Nampo steel Mill
and Gimchaek steel mill also in North Hwanghae province. Even Gimchaek Steel
Mill in Chungjin, which is in the best situation, many workers have recently
been on sick leave. As the Chinese government limits the export of the corn,
powdered corn has been imported to North Korea as an alternative food and grain
powder has been imported instead. Only a few kilograms of food can be allocated
to individual workers because of the limited availability of the food. The
other two steel mills are in a worse situation. Residue from bean oil and corn
powder is hardly obtainable even with all possible efforts.
“In the case of big enterprises with large number of
workers, many people are dying of hunger regardless of the fact they are mines,
coal mines, or the three major steel mills. One official in the Central Party,
emphasizing the seriousness of food crisis extending to special enterprises
stated that, “Even factories or enterprises, which previously managed their
operations by contributing their output to the government or selling to buyers
abroad, are experiencing a food crisis.”
One of the main reasons for this food crisis lies in
the increased censorship against the Department of Trade. During the process of
inspection and reshuffling the Department of Trade, the situation of the
domestic economy has been aggravated. More than 90 percent of CEOs and managers
of domestic enterprises have been replaced. However, the efforts of newly replaced
CEOs and managers rarely work since foreign trade is dominated by the
confidence of buyers in China and other countries. Since companies rely heavily
on colleagues or employees who are newly dispatched abroad, both the newly sent
employees and the companies in the North Korea are facing challenges. Basically
the buyers in China do not trust North Korean traders. The Chinese buyers
clearly draw a line at trading when the newly dispatched North Korean traders
ask for a business deal on credit even at the promise of a higher rate of
interest. They are reluctant to make a contract of deferred payment. A party
official grieved that he was, “skeptical of the operation of companies in this
situation since the path for obtaining food is almost non-existent.”
Soybean Oil Byproduct Import Emergency
in the Mines of Gangsung Unit 54
The soldiers working at the mines
affiliated with Gangsung Trading Company Unit 54, a typical trading company of
the People’s Armed Forces, are being supplied with the cheapest soybean oil
byproduct and corn powder. The situation is as bad as the late-1990’s period of
mass starvation, when soybean oil byproduct was imported as a food substitute
for new mothers who had just given birth.
One trade
officer reported, “Sugar and soybean oil are luxury foods, and they go only to
officials and higher agencies because they are in short supply. Corn powder,
noodles, and soybean oil byproduct are provided to private soldiers and
laborers, who mix soybean oil byproduct and corn powder for their meal. Most
people are eager to obtain soybean oil byproduct because of its cheap price in
China, where it is used as animal feed. However, obtaining soybean oil
byproduct is not as easy as we might think due to stiff competition among the
trading companies, even though they are all affiliated with the Ministry of
People’s Armed Forces.”
Trade
officials stationed in China have been actively importing soybean oil byproduct
since the second half of last year, but they worry about the country’s wounded
pride from having to import something that hardly deserves to be called food.
One trade official of the Ministry of Foreign Trade expressed his concern,
saying, “We pretend that we purchase this for animal feed to save face with the
Chinese, but it seems that the Chinese traders have figured it out already.
Word has been circulated to every Chinese soybean oil factory, so they usually
ask us if people are using the byproduct as food. I think they know the truth
already, even though I keep saying no. It would be okay if the shame was only
mine, but I feel so heavy in my heart because this brings disgrace to our
country.”
People Swarm to Rajin Sunbong in
Search of Food
Food
shortages in the North Hamgyong Province are leading residents to swarm to
Rajin Sunbong (also known as Rasun), many without a pass attempted to enter the
special district. Some give up going past the heavily guarded fences and
instead resort to staying in nearby mountains. It is a widespread feeling that
Rasun is just as prosperous as Pyongyang with investments from foreign
businesses. However poor they may be, a Rasun resident could still afford to
eat crushed corn, which is deemed a luxury in many areas. Many people believe
that entering the district would provide them food. Obtaining a pass into Rasun
is getting much more difficult in response to the growing number of people
trying to get in. Residents of Rasun have no way of reaching out and helping
their relatives who live outside the district. “I want to send over some corn
to my mother who lives in Chungjin but there is no way out. They restrict not
only entering Rasun but leaving it too. No one is really starving here and corn
is affordable, so it vexes me to hear that my mother is living on corn powder and
gruel,” said Misuk Ko, a Rasun resident.
