RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR NORTH KOREAN SOCIETY http://www.goodfriends.or.kr /[email protected] Weekly Newsletter No.305 November 2009 [“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.] ___________________________________________________________________________ [Hot Topics] Closing of Pyongsung Market Causes Increase in Migration to Soonchun Management Committee of Soonchun Market in Trouble for Lax Enforcement Staff of State-Run Stores in Haejoo Work to Stock Shelves with Wholesale Goods Markets Prosper along the Soosungchun Railroad in Place of Markets of Chungjin and Soonam [Food] Snow Hinders Harvest in North Hamgyong Province Farmers Live on Grass Porridge since March in Jaeryon g County Gilju County, Its Life depends on Vegetable Farming after Failed Corn Harvest [Economy] Kusung Textile Factory, Outdated Machines are Preferred to Unreliable Replacements Intense Crackdown on SoonChun Pharmaceutical Factory Workers [Politics] National Security Agency Intensifies Spy Patrols Sariwon , the Investigation of the Anti-Socialist Activities [Society] Doctors Mobilized for Rebuilding Nampo People’s Hospital Residents of Chungjin City Feel Burden Providing Supplies for the Heochun Power Plant in Jagang Province [Women/Children/Education] South Pyongan Province Democratic Women’s Union (DWU), “Make Indomitable Pride of North Korean Women Widely Known” National Border Area, “Number of Women Crossing the River Decreases due to 150- days Battle” The Academic Performance of Seojoong Middle School in Rakwon County is Not Up to Par Yet [Accidents] Onsung County, Mother Committed Suicide After Her Daughter Fled the Country [Editorial] Not Market Closure, but Revitalization of Factories is the Solution ___________________________________________________________________________ [Hot Topics] Closing of Pyongsung Market Causes Increase in Migration to Soonchun As the general market of Pyongsung , South Pyongan Province has been closed, more residents are leaving Pyongsung . Residents who have been leaving are typically those who cannot find a way to make a living locally. Many move to Soonchun, which arose as a wholesale town of privately fabricated products. The residents, mainly merchants, receive permits to move by bribing officials of the Residents Registration Section of the city police and then move to Soonchun . In the past, the City of Pyongsung played the role of a wholesale market for the nation, taking advantage of geographically favorable conditions along the line connecting Sinuiju and Pyongyang as well as a convenient transportation system. As a consequence, Pyongsung residents could enjoy a higher standard of living in comparison with other regions. However, the enforced market closing dealt a severe blow to the living conditions of residents. Even though there was a ration of grain last October, it was such a meager amount that it was not of any help to the residents. Residents are complaining that they cannot survive without commercial activities. As the number of residents wishing to move to Soonchun has increased, the provincial party of South Pyongan Province finally issued a directive to the provincial security department and the city police department: “Do not issue any permits to residents of Pyongsung who wish to move to Soonchun . Approve the permits only of those who are ordered to move to Soonchun according to national policy.” The intervention of the party slowed down the entry of non- residents into Soonchun temporarily. However, residents are likely to continue trying to make a living one war or another. In the meantime, on October 17, economists of the central party and the cabinet held meetings in order to find ways to rejuvenate the economy and to improve the daily diets of residents. Their conclusion was that general markets should be closed, such as the Pyongsung Market, and that the markets in the capital area should be abolished as soon as possible. Their announced policy was that state- run stores should take the place of private markets and play a more active role. Management Committee of Soonchun Market in Trouble for Lax Enforcement The City of Soonchun , South Pyongan Province, attracts people looking for jobs from other regions. As the city has developed many privately run handicraft shops and has a balanced distribution of commercial activities, from merchandise production to sales, more non- residents have sought to enter. In comparison with the City of Pyongsung, which got hurt by the closing of general markets, Soonchun has allowed its markets to function rather freely until recently. However, some time ago authorities ran inspections of market stalls, looking for restricted merchandise. These sales booths with unrestricted merchandise, including contraband items as well, were tacitly permitted by the officials of the management committee. After the public prosecutor’s office discovered the illegal sales, they ordered the arrest of the manager and the treasurer of the committee and investigated them for two days. Fortunately, there was no bribery involved and they were released only with reprimands. But this incident has caused the city to initiate a market inspection procedure with a new organization, involving the city party, city administration and city police. As a consequence, the sale of contraband items will result in a fine of 3,000 to 5,000 NKW. All merchandise is also strictly limited to less than 50 Kg. In comparison to the unrestricted activities of merchants in other regions, those who cannot conduct business under the tacit permission of officials suffered devastating losses. However, secret deals by merchants continue as long as they are able to avoid inspectors’ observations. Staff of StateState----RunRun StoStoresres in Haejoo Work to Stock Shelves with Wholesale Goods The sales people in state-run stores are playing the role of wholesalers as they fill up the shelves in Haejoo , South Hwanghae Province. An import-export trade company delivers approximately sixty percent of the merchandise in state-run sores, the remaining forty percent is supposed to be provided by the sales people of the stores. Because the import- export trade company can only provide a limited variety of goods, the sales staff has to rely on private wholesalers. Because ninety percent of the payment for the merchandise is in promissory notes and only ten percent is in cash, the response to these deals with private wholesalers has not been positive. Most of the items are made in China and merchants cannot purchase them from China with promissory notes. The inability to pay for Chinese goods with cash has lead wholesalers to avoid deals with state-run stores. Nonetheless, sales people of the state-run stores devise creative ways to earn money in those deals. Markets Prosper along the Soosungchun Railroad in Place of Markets of Chungjin and Soonam Markets have along the railroads at Soosungchun , in the City of Chungjin , North Hamgyong Province, are in high demand these days. Merchants unable to find sales booths at Soonam market sell their wares here. There are around 200 to 250 merchants here. Previously on September 25, the police chief of the Soonam district delivered a long and threatening speech to the merchants. The message was that fines will be imposed on merchants in accordance with the guidelines for maintenance of the market and that merchandise would be subject to confiscation. In other words, merchants should follow the proper procedures and processes to enter the market for commercial activities. Merchants do not seem to care about the threats made by the police chief because they cannot afford to pay for stalls in the market and thus feel that they do not have anything to lose. Starting a few days after the threatening speech, eight policemen from the Soonam district show up at the market at two o’clock to conduct regular inspections. Those merchants who can afford to bribe them with cigarettes can avoid big losses. Other poorer merchants have to rely on ‘guerilla’ tactics, hiding and avoiding the regular inspections. Kim Gyehwa (alias) told a story about a big loss suffered at three o’clock in the afternoon on September 29, when policemen appeared suddenly out of nowhere. “Normally at 2 PM, the policemen are beside the railroad and the merchants in hiding watch the policemen trying to figure out when they will disappear. When the policemen disappear, the merchants show up slowly one by one and display their merchandise. Once in a while, the policemen suddenly rush to the market from nowhere on motorbikes. It was like that the other day. When it happens, it reminds me of a scene in a movie. Merchants scatter around in all directions to avoid confiscation of their merchandise. The whole place looks like it has just been bombed. Many items on display are damaged because they cannot be carried away by the scattering merchants, or are torn apart or trodden. I suffered a big loss because a lot of my clothing was torn apart. I also had to pay a fine. The torn clothing and the fine broke my heart. How long do I have to be treated like a wild animal while trying to make a living? “ [Food] Snow Hinders Harvest in North Hamgyong Province Early winter snow has hindered the harvest in North Hamgyong Province. At farm units 4 and 5 in Yingye-ri, Heoryong City, snow buried sheaved rice before it was able to be removed from the fields. A large inevitable loss is predicted because snow covered grains easily fall off during transportation. Furthermore, farmers said that it would be difficult to thresh harvested corn and rice due to the snow. Farmers Live on Grass Porridge since March in JaJaJaeJa eeeryonryon g County Jaeryon g County in South Hwanghae Province is known to have one of the best granaries in North Korea.