From the Daily NK:
North Korean prices are continuing to rise.
At Sunam Jangmadang of Chongjin City, the price of rice is 1,200W/1kg, corn 300W, bottle of oil 2,000W, pork 2,500W and pants made from China 20,000W.
As it is spring, not only is it a time where the overall price of Jangmadang rice rises, but because the country is not distributing rations, the majority of people depend on the rice at Jangmadang. Also, rice sellers are watching this opening and are raising prices.
Lee who entered South Korea in 2003 says she has already sent money to her family by various means. The money sent through earnings from part-time jobs and resettlement money from the South Korean government, is becoming a lifeline for her family. Her families in North Korea depend on her to send money to live and get great relief from their daughters who live in South Korea.
Chinese 100yuan is 34,000won at Jangmadangi
Lee’s family who support their living by selling goods made from China, ceased trade because of soaring prices and control of Jangmadang by authorities.
Lee added, as it became harvest season and authorities restrained Jangmadang operations, there was even an incident last May at Chongjin where a lot of children were hospitalized after eating sweets and medicines made from China, and instruction was made in regards to strengthening the regulation of Chinese goods.
However, Chinese goods are in the majority and controlling Chinese commodities in North Korea is ‘shading the sun with the palm of your hand.’ Lee conveyed that to regulate the problem, police officers confiscate Chinese goods such as alcohol and cigarettes, and that oppression is worsening.
According to Lee, at present in Chongjin, Chinese 100yuan is 34,000 won for North Korean money. If this is converted to dollars, $1 calculates approximately 2,750won.
In March, the exchange rate at Musan Jangmadang was 100yuan to 37,125 won North Korean currency, in dollars $1 for 2,970won. The exchange rate for Yuan has decreased since March from roughly 100yuan to about 3,000won.
Local factory workers, majority mobilized to the village
The local industrial factory Lee’s brother works for in Chongjin, has recently closed factory doors and sends workers to the village. Compared to reports of North Korean publicity and media of central businesses in production at Pyongyang, standards of local industries are extremely inferior.
The reason, local industries could not extricate the aftereffects of acute shortages in equipment and materials following the economic breakdown in the mid-90’s.
According to defector of Chongjin, person ‘A’ laments “Recovery in factories is difficult as electric machines and electric lines are stolen and sold. Factories themselves want restoration but money is required, and isn’t it that there is no where money can appear.”
The most urgent is the problem of electricity. Most recently, as it is the farming season, all the electricity is mobilized for the water meter operations, with electricity servicing the villages approximately 10hours daily. However, as electricity is supplied to the villages, meanwhile the city is locked in darkness.
