NK NEWS BRIEF | Nov 6, 2014

Boys play football in the town of Hyesan in Ryanggang province. | Photo: David Guttenfelder / AP

NK INTERNAL

• Daily NK: SKorean cosmetic products are popular among NKorean women, but as selling SKorean products is illegal in NK, they are disguised as Southeast Asian. Increasingly chosen as a wedding gift, SKorean cosmetics are sold for as much as 1,000 RMB (163 USD). Source: “The name of the product is written in English, but inside, there are instructions written in Korean, so a lot of people know to look for Southeast Asian cosmetics.”
• Yonhap: KJU convened a two-day meeting of battalion commanders and political instructors in PY, the first of its kind in 8 years. KIS and KJI convened this meeting once during their leaderships, and KJI held the meeting four days prior to the first nuclear test in 2006. KCNA photos showed KJU without a cane for the first time since his return from injury, and KCTV footage showed him walking with a slight limp.
• Daily NK: Prisoners from labor training camps are mobilized to work at coal mines in dangerous conditions. Source: “They don’t even have safety lights… Some inmates collapse from pulling the coal trolleys all day since they only get to eat corn kernels mixed with only a bit of rice… Once they gain consciousness, they have to go back in… With more residents learning about the conditions at coal mines for those in labor training camps, rumors are spreading that if you land yourself in a training camp, you come out dead.”
• Daily NK: The annual ‘Fall Land Management Full Mobilization’ commenced in October, with citizens mobilized to remove litter and sewer deposits from waterways, carry out road construction, and plant trees. Source: “Authorities are propagandizing the work as a ‘patriotic commitment,’ but as the work stretches over one to two consecutive months, the number of non-participating families is growing… Families that do not fully mobilize are called to the corresponding police stations, and there are even cases of heads of enterprises being locked up in detention houses under the ‘10 days confinement law’ for careless dispatch of personnel.”
• NFI: Jang Chul-jin, a Musan-native who defected in July 2014 recounts the govt crackdown on foreign media and the recent measures taken by some people to avoid arrests: “There is a new recorder from China that has a power storage device. Even in sudden blackouts, people can take out the DVD using the electricity stored inside the DVD player. If the surveillance team suddenly knocks on your door right after the power is out, you will still be able to take out the South Korean DVD and replace it with a legal music CD… So citizens who can afford to invest more money in purchasing this safer equipment.”
• RFA: A new age limit on KWP membership has been established, thought to be around 60 for men and 55 for women. Source: “There are as many members of the Korean Workers’ Party now as there are stones in the street… By reducing the number of party members, they are hoping to revitalize the party and increase the value of party membership.” High-ranking govt officials, however, retain their full party membership until they retire from their posts, and are classified as “honorary” members after that.
• VOA, via Chosun Ilbo: American medical NGO ‘Christian Friends of Korea’ postponed a visit to NK for hepatitis B vaccinations due to the 21-days quarantine for all foreigners entering the country (Korean).

ECONOMY & FOOD SECURITY

• ROK MOU, citing China’s customs data: NK imported 13,000 tons of jet fuel from China between January and September, a sharp rise from 359 tons in the same period last year. But the amount is still far short of past tallies: 38,000 tons in the same period of 2011 and 39,000 tons in that of 2012. This contradicts Kerry’s claim that China has reduced jet fuel exports to NK (see below).
• Hankyoreh: Beijing’s Global Times reported that the opening of the New Yalu Bridge between Dandong and Shinuiju has been delayed indefinitely, due to a lack of development on the NKorean side. GT criticised NK for being “completely absorbed in construction projects in Pyongyang and other major cities, without making any mention of the New Yalu River Bridge.” The joke in Dandong is that the 3 km bridge, which cost China 1.98B RMB (324M USD), leads to NKorean vegetable gardens.
• RFA: Total US-NK imports/exports in Q1-Q3 was 22M USD, up more than three times on the same period last year (6.6M USD). 98% consists of humanitarian supplies sent by NGOs. (Korean).
• Maeil Gyeongje: NK is reportedly mulling the option of allowing foreign experts to oversee their new special economic zones.
• RFA: Taxis are now operating in the provincial city of Haeju. There are reportedly about 40 taxis being operated by the Ministry of People’s Security, and the prices are similar to PY. (Korean).
• Daily NK: Severe drought in NK has led to dismal yields in cabbages and other vegetables, causing difficulties in the kimjang season (kimchi preparation season in early winter). 1 kg of cabbage costs 1,200-1,500 KPW (0.15-0.19 USD), higher than last year’s 1,000 KPW (0.12 USD). Source: “Some residents, in collusion with military officers and border guards, are bringing in cabbages and other vegetables from China at night to deal with the issue.”
• RFA: The basic monthly cellphone bill in NK is around 1,000 KPW (cited as 0.15 USD), which includes 200 minutes of calls. Because users are billed 80 RMB (13 USD) per 100 minutes of excess usage, some traders prefer to carry two cell phones in order to pay less for 400 minutes of calls. The staff at local phone shops are also reportedly making a good living by pocketing 50 RMB (8 USD) per phone sold. (Korean).

HUMAN RIGHTS

• Yonhap: UN SR Darusman and the USG’s Robert King will visit Seoul, separately, to meet with senior ROK MOFAT and MOU officials and discuss NK HR issues.
• AP: EU Foreign Affairs spokeswoman on PY’s invite for a visit: “The invite is currently being considered… The two sides will discuss timing and substance of a visit through appropriate diplomatic channels.” EU diplomatic service intended to visit NK in the first week of November, but the visit was postponed due to the Ebola quarantine.
• FP interview with Chinese ambassador to US: “Other countries, including United States and China, should not try to interfere into the domestic affairs of North Korea. You could have your own opinion, but ultimately it’s up to the Korean people to decide. I don’t think its helpful or constructive if there’s efforts — whether in the ICC or elsewhere — trying to complicate this matter. We should focus on denuclearization and stability.”
• The Guardian: Kayoyo Arimoto (88), mother of Keiko Arimoto, abducted when she was 23 years old: “I am hopeful, and I am convinced that Keiko is still alive, but I do wonder if all of the abductees will be able to return… As a mother, all I’d want to do is hold my daughter again.”

REFUGEES

• Yonhap: 11 NKoreans were arrested by Chinese police shortly before they were to head to the border with Myanmar. The group included a 7-year-old child.  
• Daily NK: China has beefed up security along the Amrok and Tumen Rivers, installing fences and even surveillance cameras, making it more difficult for NKoreans to cross over. The aggressive move may be aimed at cracking down on drug trafficking from NK, as China has reportedly declared war on drugs.  
• Daily NK: Kim Hyang-hui, a defector who won the 3rd Korean Peninsula Table Tennis Competition in Seoul: “I used to be on the national table tennis team in North Korea, but my husband and son starved to death in front of my own eyes. On the day that I just collapsed on the floor with no energy to even cry waiting for my own death, that’s when I lost my dignity. Today for the first time in 25 years, here in South Korea, I’m so happy to have won my pride back.”
• BBC Newsnight feature on Yeonmi Park.

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS & SECURITY

• INTER-KOREAN: ROK MOU: “North Korea claims that we are protecting and supporting civic groups here that are voluntarily sending the flyers, and it is using it as an excuse to say it will pull out of the talks… The North needs to clearly understand these unilateral assertions of threat will not gain them anything… Directly referring to and criticizing our president as well as talking about ‘punishing’ our people is an act that under no circumstances can be accepted, according to inter-Korean agreements and international standards. Our government warns the North that any such actions that threaten the safety of our people will be met with strong counteractions… We believe the second round of high-level talks have been canceled… As of now, we do not have any additional measures planned in this regard.”
• The Rodong Sinmun had reiterated its call on Seoul to stop the leaflet launches.
• Yonhap: SK PM: “(The government) has no grounds to legally control the scattering of leaflets against North Korea.” Meanwhile, opposition party NPAD’s chief policymaker proposed legal measures to restrict the balloon activists.
• Joongang Ilbo: A senior SKorean official reported that PY began operating a new uranium plant. SKorean nuclear engineer: “If the North operates all 4,000 centrifuges year-round, it can produce about 80 kilograms [176 pounds] of highly enriched uranium annually… That is enough to build four to five nuclear bombs.” ROKG official: “If the North uses the ‘gun’ method, like the Little Boy for which the United States used 64.1 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, the North can create nuclear bombs without tests… If the North attempts to create nuclear arms by secretly using the gun-type bombs, it is hard to detect and stop the program.”
• Yonhap: The ROK Ministry of Unification will create two new divisions–a humanitarian development cooperation division and a unification culture division–that will seek to work with international organizations and local groups to address humanitarian issues in NK, such as supporting pregnant NKorean women.
• RIA: Seoul has decided to pay up to 92,800 USD for NK’s participation in the Incheon Para Games, in order to promote inter-Korean relations.
• Yonhap: 22 NKorean teenage football players and 10 NKorean officials have arrived in SK to participate in the U-15 football competition to be held in Yeoncheon, located at the border region.
• USG’s Kerry: “The Chinese are being helpful. They’ve taken measures way beyond where they were a year ago. When I went to visit last spring, we engaged in a discussion where they agreed to step up their efforts with the North, and they have. They’ve actually reduced the amount of jet fuel going into the country. They’ve put limitations on trade going into the country. They’ve had at least five visits, maybe six – five, I think, with President Park of South Korea. They haven’t met once with Kim Jong-un.” Speaking before leaving on a trip that would include Beijing, Kerry also pointed out four crucial areas of US-China cooperation: Climate change, Iran, North Korea, and counter-terrorism.
• Kenneth Bae’s family, two years into his detention: “It is an anniversary our family did not want to have to celebrate. While Kenneth remains a prisoner in North Korea, our lives are also held captive; filled with unspeakable heartache and anxiety.”
• Yonhap: SKorean PM on OPCON transfer delay: “As we are inferior to North Korea in terms of asymmetric power, it is the right decision to delay the OPCON transition until we are capable…  What we should do is acquire all assets to refrain North Korea from having (nuclear and missile) ambitions.”
• Chosun Ilbo: ROKG is considering rescheduling next years joint military drills so that the Ulchi drills coincide with the Key Resolve drills.
• AP: Kim Yong-nam’s arrival in Uganda was reported as “an official goodwill visit” by KCNA, while Uganda’s president described PY as “friends who have helped Uganda for a long time.”

ANALYSIS & OPINION

• Geoffrey See on NK’s tech industry challenges: “We often find that when we talk to the smaller IT companies there, they are developing products for which there is already a very strong product on the market… You need a lot of collaboration with international programmers, being plugged into that network of programmers and venture capitalists who are able to tell you who else is working on such a product.”  
• Denny Roy: “It is doubtful that Obama would focus on U.S.-North Korea relations as one of his legacy accomplishments… North Korea is also too risky to make a foreign policy showcase.”
• Ken Gause: “There are a few voices in both Democratic and Republican camps that are calling for more engagement, but they are in the minority. As long as the Middle East dominates the U.S. foreign policy attention, I don’t expect to see much change.”
• Chung Sung-jang: “It looks like Choe [Ryong-hae] has been appointed party secretary for organization… Kim Jong-un may have wanted to appoint his sister Yeo-jong to the post, but she’s still too young.”
• Choson Exchange: “[NK’s Ebola response] tells us a lot about how policy is made in North Korea. Like many policies, decisions are made within a small circle of key decision-makers, with limited stakeholder consultation, then circulated to Ministries and middle-level officials to implement. Because of the limited information available to the middle management, many of them are left to guess how the policy will be implemented.”

MISC.

• Telegraph: NKorean elite artists of Mansudae Studio visited London to paint and showcase paintings of London. A few of the exhibited artworks can be viewed here and here, and an interview with the artists can be found here.
• Huffington Post: 21 members of American nonprofit organization ‘Surfing the Nations’ visited NK for 10 days to teach surfing to a few NKorean tour guides. PY launched surf tours in August 2014 to attract more tourists. Julie Nelson, a member of STN: “The friendships we created with the participants were amazing… When you’re learning to surf, you put your life in your instructor’s hands. Because of that vulnerability and trust that we established with them, we got to have a unique relationship with them.”
• The Independent: Aram Pan, who attended the 12th PY Fashion Exhibition: “However, women’s fashion seems to be evolving – and it isn’t isolated just to Pyongyang… even on the streets, I’ve noticed that women were getting bolder and more fancy in the way they dress… Locals now apparently have the ability to use whatever ‘over production’ as their profit. This in turn is creating a kind of consumer driven market within North Korea that I’ve never even known existed.”

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