Reports are emerging that the newly elected South Korean President Moon Jae In and US President Donald Trump have become hot topics of conversation in the North Korean Markets. Many North Koreans are currently mobilizing for the “rice-planting battle”, and hoping for improved foreign relations. For this reason, people in the market places are discussing the US and South Korean Presidents and speculating on the possibility of improving foreign relations. “Th ese days, people are spending a lot of time in the markets, talking about South Korean President Moon Jae In and US President Trump.
Th ey’re hoping for a better political environment because they’re going through diffi culties due to the sanctions together with the seasonal lean period that comes with the Spring”, a source in North Hamgyong Province recently told Daily NK. Many North Koreans are showing a general positive reaction to President Moon while the majority have negative opinion on President Trump. “Th e newly elected South Korean president appears capable of building a better relationship with North Korea compared to former president Park Geun Hye. People are saying that if inter-Korean ties improve like in the days when South Korea sent rice and fertilizer to the North, it will make out lives better”, the source said. “As such, most of the residents seem to be hoping for an improvement in North-South relations. Th ey are mostly aware of South Korea’s economic prosperity, so naturally, they are hoping for a good relationship with the new South Korean Government”. On the other hand, President Trump is regarded by many North Koreans as an “obstructor”.
Th e Party– run Rodong sinmum claimed on May 29 that Trump’s rhetoric is inducing “political instability” and sentiments on the ground suggest that this is in line with residents’ personal opinions of the situation. A source in Ryanggang Province said that many feel that for interKorean relations to improve, the role of the US is critical, but Trump might sabotage the relationship. Some are also wondering if it will be possible for the South Korean president to improve relations with North Korea against the will of the US. Such concerns are compounded by the nationwide agricultural mobilization. “Th e residents have to participate in mobilizations including agricultural support until 4pm, and are only allowed to do private business in the evening for a few hours, so it is hard to fi nd any laughter or joy these days”, she said.
Meanwhile, as China’s suspension of coal imports continues for more than four months, many North Korean residents who relied on the coal industry are fi nding themselves destitute. China has stepped up its participation in United Nations Security Council (NSC) sanctions against North Korea by blocking the import of coal, resulting in hundreds of coal mine workers belonging to trading companies in Sunchon (South Pyongan Province) losing their jobs. In addition, local purchasing power has declined, along with a breakdown in logistics and the circulation of money. “It has been four months since coal exports to China were blocked, and North Korea is in a war-like crisis, Hundreds of coal mine workers belonging to dozens of trading companies have lost their jobs and been pushed into a life-threatening economic crisis,” a source in South Pyongan Province recently told Daily NK. “Local residents who were once making a living by running food stalls near the coal mines or carrying coal have all lost their jobs. As a result, regional economic activity has plummeted”.
Th e local businesses that once relied on the coal export industry, including restaurants, car washes, and fuel vendors, have all met a similar fate and the circulation of money has stagnated in the general markets, causing disarray. As a fl ow-on eff ect, the price of coal purchased for domestic consumption (primary as a fuel source for home cooking and heating) has also dropped, infl icting further losses on coal exporting companies. Although the local economy is in serious trouble, the North Korean authorities are not taking any tangible steps to address the issue. According to the source, the coal produced at the state-run coal mine in Sunchon City continues to be sent to the Pyongyang thermal power plant, irrespective of the suspension of coal exports. Th e sources reported that residents are eagerly hoping that coal exports will resume, but the authorities feel as long as the state – run enterprises remain operational, there are no problems to address.
Th is is causing complaints from the residents who instead see the nation’s resources poured into weapons development. Th e coal trade between North Korea and China was once booming in Rizhao Port in Shandong Province, where regulations were relatively loose, but even smuggling of coal has reportedly become diffi cult in this region due to strengthened Customs procedures.
In another development, the issue of how Kim Jong Un disposed of the body of his half-brother Kim Jong Nam has become a central topic of interest in North Korea’s marketplaces. Although the North Korean authorities received the body, no offi cial announcement has been made, let alone a funeral services. Rumors that the body must have been secretly buried are spreading among the residents. On March 31, 46 days after the murder of Kim Jong Nam, his body was repatriated to North Korea. Th e handover followed a period of diplomatic tension between North Korea and Malaysia, as North Korea detained Malaysian citizens within the country and Malaysia responded in kind. Although these details were never revealed to the North Korean public, the secretive approach by the regime is arousing curiosity. “
Rumors related to the Marshal’s (Kim Jong Un)’s half-brother are spreading through the markets in Pyongyang. Th e news of Kim Jong Nam’s murder overseas is already widely known, and now people are talking about what happened to his body”, a source in South Pyongan Province told Daily NK. “People are saying that the regime did not hold a national funeral service for the Marshal’s family member. Some think that it must mean that Kim Jong Nam committed a serious crime while abroad. Even high-ranking offi cials in Pyongyang have no concrete information on the matter. So it seems likely that the funeral service was held privately or his body was buried in secret.” Discussions are naturally fl owing towards the complicated relationships within the Kim family. Some residents are saying, “the General (Kim Jong Un) also had a half brother himself, and now the Marshal (Kim Jong II) has a half-brother, too. Th e Kim family is very complicated.”
It seems that the authorities believe the ordinary citizens are unaware of the death of the Kim Jong Nam or even his existence. But most people have already concluded that the regime chose to handle the matter in secrecy because it wants to conceal these facts from the people,” the source added. However, since the very mentioning of the Kim family is considered a serious crime, these rumors are not being spoken in public. Both sources reported that most of the residents are refraining from saying anything about the matter in public in fear of being arrested.
Kim and Ferrand wrote via www. dailynk.com
