According to the Daily NK:
A “special regulation period” is normally designated over special holidays such as the birthdays of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. In general, the period of the special regulations is around one week; five or six days before and one or two days after the holiday. However, these regulations have now been in force for more than a month, covering both the Delegates’ Conference and the founding day of the Chosun Workers’ Party next weekend.
The source specified the details of the crackdown, saying, “In the border cities of North Hamkyung Province, strike forces are working to regulate smuggling, drug dealing, defection and such like. In addition, the People’s Safety Ministry and even (People’s Safety Ministry) Politics University graduates are involved in armed crackdowns.”
Graduates of the University are generally mobilized during special regulation periods for the twin purposes of both domestic security and practice in advance of becoming a full People’s Safety Ministry agent.
According to the source, while patrolling the neighborhood they call in at residents’ homes without warning to check whether or not the residents are watching South Korean movies or dramas. Additionally, they also stop pedestrians on the streets, suppress rumors about Kim Jong Eun and hunt for people receiving calls from China by cell phone.
“It is so obvious that they intend to blackmail the people by finding flaws with everything. The only thing the special regulations can do is feed agents,” the source added.
Defectors agree with his analysis, saying that during special regulation periods around holidays or commemorative days, People’s Safety Ministry agents and community watch guards can earn enough money to pay for their own festive period.
Trade in the jangmadang is one of the prime targets, because traders do not have any choice but to sell goods from China, South Korea or other countries, which is technically illegal. Additionally, a collective farm tends to sell its products to traders in order to earn a profit and pay for farm administrative tasks. This, again technically forbidden, practice can be cracked down on, too. Indeed, once agents make up their mind to earn money through crackdowns, there is nothing they will allow to pass, according to sources.
The inside source said, “After the special regulations started in early September, rice prices skyrocketed in the jangmadang. But fortunately they settled down when fall came.” A kilogram of rice is now worth approximately 900 won and corn is 350 won, but in early September they were around 1300 won and 700 won respectively.
Read the full story here:
Special Regulation Period Extended Past 10th
Daily NK
Yoo Gwan Hee
10/4/2010
