Daily NK
Kim Young Jin
8/24/2007
An inside North Korean source relayed that along the North Korean-China border region, businesses connecting North Korean civilians with relatives in the U.S. and in Japan charging exorbitant usage fees are receiving the spotlight.
Choi Yong Nam (pseudonym, 37), residing in Moosan, North Hamkyung, in a phone conversation with DailyNK on the 23rd, revealed, “International cell phones calls are directly made from North Korea or there are cases where North Koreans are directly brought to China to call their relatives in foreign countries.”
Choi added, “In order to be connected to families or relatives in South Korea, at least 200,000 won in South Korean currency (around US$215) is needed. To communicate with families in the U.S. or in Japan, at least 400,000 to 500,000 won are used up.” He minimizes the essential element of risk, but denounced that the price is baselessly expensive.
Choi explained, “However, China or regular phone calls are not charged such fees. Separated families, cases of requesting huge amounts of remittance from relatives in the U.S., Japan, or in South Korea, or the process of relatives trying to bring the families in North Korea to foreign countries require a high fee.”
Such a costly fee seems to be due to the control of cell phone use in North Korea. In order to prevent information leaks to the outside, the North Korea’s authorities have stepped forward using equipments such as “cell phone detectors.”
Another source said, “Getting caught while using cell phones is rarely pacified on the spot as it used to be before. Inspection and punishment are severe, but one can escape through bribery even though there is a difference in the amount.”
After inspections, the violators are taken to the police station and have to go through basic investigations.
Regarding the content of investigations, he said, “They investigate the place of usage, past call history, whether or not the calls are related to foreign countries (South Korea, Japan, and the U.S.). Then, they investigate whether or not the person has a previous conviction.”
Kang Soon Young (speudonym, 44) who is visiting relatives in Yanji, China, said, “There are at least 100 North Korea-born people who are making a living doing various kinds of projects (work) along the border area in Yanji alone.”
The border area project refers to the remittances for money sent to South Korea or abroad or river-crossings, smuggling, phone connections and various projects that are becoming active in Chinese cities sharing the border with North Korea.
He relayed, “Nowadays, the border patrol has been toughened, so crossing the river without going through people who work in such border area projects is almost impossible.”
On one hand, Mr. Kang relayed, “There was a public execution along the Hoiryeong Riverfront on the 10th. The executed was a man in his 50s with the crime of aiding and abetting river-crossings (defecting) and was charged with smuggling.”
