From the Daily NK:
In June, the highest peak of rice-planting season, North Korean authorities station security guards to be at the crossroads of Jangmadang(a type of black market) and get undercover police officers to wander the streets and regulate people with focused control who are trading. During the rice-planting ‘period of full mobilization’ goods that are sold secretly are all collected.
Also, it has become known that rice in the Onsung region is trading for 1,200won ($0.4).
North Korean citizen, Lee Hyun Sook (32 years, born in Onsung) who to obtain food passed Tumen River revealed while meeting a reporter on the 5th near Yanji City, China that “The people are driving the whole rice-planting battle.”
Lee who came to China bringing a 5 year old child after losing her husband barely ran a business in Jangmadang, and continues her living as a common homemaker. After authorities shutdown Jangmadang in spring, Lee says she was driven to the village, thus crossed the Tumen River as otherwise her child would die of hunger.
Following Is Questions and Answers with Ms. Lee
– It’s said Jangmadang was shutdown?
The security office controlled and did not permit morning Jangmadang. Security guards stationed the road that intersects with Jangmadang, whilst common police officers roamed the street controlling people trading. Goods that are secretly in trade during ‘the period of full mobilization’ are all collected.
– How will you live if Jangmadang is shutdown?
From 6 o’clock in the evening Jangmadang doors are open. People like me who earn a daily income and live off their daily income are about to die.
– When is the period of full mobilization until?
Every year when it is farming season, full mobilization is set up. There is no designated date, but is terminated when rice-planting and weeding is complete.
– What type of people are targeted for full mobilization?
After morning, it is quiet and there are no people in the city. Factories, companies, people on the street, students, no differently anyone who holds a spoon all leave. Even the people from far distances (long distance trading) are supervised on the street.
– It’s said that even traveling permission have been reinforced…
The security office does not even issue traveling permissions. People that must go take a citizen warrant, but security guards and police officers come stop their cars on the street regulating people and even collect goods. In particular, people from other provinces are especially made to do a lot of work.
– How much, how long are you made to work?
Supervised people are only sent away when a rice seedbed, 9m long and 1.6m wide is pulled by hand. Those assigned rice-planting pair-up together and only send people away at night, when all the seeds have been planted
According to Lee, when the “Rice-planting full mobilization group” is organized, executive officers go to each farm to manage the people’s Jangmadang and direct the people’s village mobilization. On one hand, she says “When it is morning the broadcasting car roams the streets announcing ‘You have to farm well, to win the fight with Americans’ ‘You have to farm well, to realize the general’s worrying thoughts of the people’s hunger problem.’
Price Increase in the Period of Full Mobilization
It appears that during the period of village mobilization, the price of good rises due to operation restrictions. People wanting to buy rice wander trying to find rice sellers and people that secretly sell and buy in the alleyways are disciplined and carried off to the security office.
The price in Onsung Jangmadang is 1,200won ($0.4) per 1kg of rice and 250won ($0.083) for corn. Fresh pork is 1,800 won ($0.6) per 1kg, as it can spoil easily in the warming weather, but can be bought for 1,600won ($0.53) towards the end of day. It is of course unreasonably expensive compared to a laborer’s monthly income of 5,000won ($1.67).
In a way, on commencement of trade, the people cannot even spread open their goods at Jangmadang but sell to people secretly. Lee said “Food is given, a lunch meal per day for people mobilized to the village.”
After the Resumption of Rationing, There is No News for a Long Time in Onsung
Lee says that it has been a long time since distribution in the Onsung has stopped.
After being questioned “How much rationing have you seen?” Lee said that “No rationing was received since 1994.” Lee comments that last year October, she knew of the truth that rationing had been resumed, but as a non-laborer with no husband, there wasn’t a time she received the classified rations.
Last year October, North Korean authorities instructed the distribution of rations according to districts, but smaller districts were given rice only for a few months before being exhausted. The distributions to the people from factories are 15day rations to last a few days, but Lee and other similar housewives respond to the distributions as completely unfamiliar terms.
People like Lee who earn a daily income and live off their daily income, become suffocated in the reality of their lives when mobilized to the villages. For this reason, there is an actual increase of North Korean people crossing the Tumen River to do suitcase business and earn money.
