North Korea has been reporting through state-run media such as the Rodong Sinmun that it is taking care of the lives of flood victims, but it has been reported that as time passes, the livelihoods of the residents are being neglected and only group living is being forced.
According to a source in Yanggang Province of NK Times on the 2nd, residents of the flood-stricken area of Kim Hyong-jik (Huchang) County are being forced to live in groups in a situation where basic sanitation facilities and food supplies are insufficient. In the early stages of the flood damage, residents’ daily necessities and food were given priority, but now, a month later, food and daily necessities have been drastically reduced, forcing the residents to take care of their own livelihoods.
A source from Kim Hyong-jik County said in a phone call with our newspaper, “Since around August 20, food supplies have been practically cut off, and the residents are now solving three meals a day with one serving of food,” adding, “Because of this situation, everyone is suffering from hunger.”
He continued, “The suffering of parents with young children is miserable,” and explained, “In particular, children under the age of 5 cry out for food, complaining that they are hungry, but since they live in a group, they cannot feed them separately, so the parents swallow their tears and try to appease them.”
Amidst this, some residents are reportedly refusing to live in a group and moving back to their hometowns to avoid the authorities’ control. However, the authorities are reportedly forcing them to return to their group homes, saying, “The party takes care of everything, so why are you going back to your hometown? You must not act so ungratefully.” This is interpreted as an intention to suppress defections and dissatisfaction with the system and strengthen solidarity by thoroughly blocking attempts by residents of flood-stricken areas to leave the group life.
The source pointed out, “Some residents could reduce the burden on the authorities if they lived at their parents’ or in-laws’ homes, but they are being forced to live in groups unconditionally,” and “They are not criminals, but they have to check their attendance every morning and report when they go out. Who would like that?”
He continued, “If you keep residents in group living, it is easy to monitor and control them, but if they live scattered to their parents’ homes, they are out of the surveillance net,” and added, “They are persistently demanding group living in order to strengthen solidarity among residents through group living and prevent the spread of complaints related to flood damage and the exodus of residents.”
Meanwhile, Kim In-ae, deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification, said in a regular briefing held at the government complex in Seoul on the 30th of last month, “The government judged that it is most important for North Korean residents suffering from flood damage to return to their daily lives as soon as possible, and so, despite the current state of inter-Korean relations, we have decided to allow groups that have applied so far to contact (North Korean residents) for the purpose of flood relief.”
***This article was translated by Google and may differ from the Korean version.
