Voice of the ordinary N.Koreans: “Nuke test only brings hardship to people,” “No better life in Kim Jong-un’s era”

Asia Press has covered the inside situations and responses of North Koreans after the nuclear test with reporting partners. Responses on the test were all negative. Following is the phone conversation, at night, on January 9 with a reporting partner in the northern part of North Korea.
(Edited by Kang Ji-won/ISHIMARU Jiro)

Complaints from the people are getting bigger as the supply of power and running water are worsening. A woman is going back home with buckets of water from the village pump in the midlands of North Korea on January 2015. (Taken by Mindulle, Asia Press)

Q: Did you feel the shocks of the hydrogen bomb test?
A: There were tremors like an earthquake.

Q: How did you know it was a nuke test?
A: I saw the evening news. They supplied a couple of hours of electricity in the evening.

Q: Are there any gatherings or speeches regarding the nuke test?
A: If there had been a test, there should have been speeches or informational material, which include common phrases like bragging our people’s greatness.

Q: What do you think about the sudden nuke test?
A: I am not sure, but it was done for the celebration of Kim Jong-un’s birthday (presumed to be January 8). We haven’t even got a piece of his birthday cake.

Q: How do the people feel about the hydrogen bomb test?
A: I doubt that many people would have pride about that (the nuke test)! We don’t have enough food to eat! Everyone is making an outcry since they are doing that kind of thing even though we are so hungry!