{"id":3830,"date":"2018-08-24T13:14:43","date_gmt":"2018-08-24T04:14:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=3830"},"modified":"2021-07-02T14:09:59","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T05:09:59","slug":"kim-jong-un-regime","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2018\/08\/news\/kim-jong-un-regime\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N. Korea\uff1e Growing discontent with Kim Jong-un regime in North Korea"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

(Photo) A woman selling food on a street in Daeseong District, Pyongyang. Taken by Koo Gwang-ho, June 2011 (ASIAPRESS)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

2018\/Aug<\/span><\/span><\/span>\/1<\/em><\/p>\n

Recently it seems as if North Koreans\u2019 opinion of Kim Jong-un had improved and Kim had succeeded in strengthening his authority after talks with China, South Korea, and the United States. However, it has been reported that since July discontent with the regime is growing. The Ordinary North Koreans are becoming increasingly frustrated with the unresolved economic challenges and poor living conditions. (ISHIMARU Jiro)<\/span><\/p>\n

On April 27, an inter-Korean summit was held at Panmunjom. North Koreans watched Kim Jong-un cross the Military Demarcation Line into the South and shake hands with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in a day after the summit. When asked for their thoughts on this matter, the ASIAPRESS reporting partners said,<\/span><\/p>\n

\"I was moved.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has great courage for entering enemy territories.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\"This will make life better.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The South will help us.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Most people expressed joy and heightened expectations. Kim Jong-un\u2019s standing in North Korea was greatly boosted after he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping three times and with U.S. President Donald Trump on June 12 for the US-NK summit.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, in the three months since the Panmunjom summit, discontent has spread in North Korea due to a lack of visible change and continued economic deterioration.
\nNext page: Expectations in Pyongyang have dwindled...<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u25c6<\/strong>Expectations in Pyongyang have dwindled<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

A mid-sized business owner in Pyongyang who returned from China in early July agreed to an interview with a member of ASIAPRESS on the condition of anonymity.<\/span><\/p>\n

-- I heard Kim Jong-un's popularity has significantly increased after the talks with South Korea, China, and the U.S.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Even though the Rodong Sinmun is praising Kim Jong-un for making possible the summits with South Korea and the Great Powers, I think the air of excitement has diminished. Life is still tough and nothing is changing. Those who understand the ways of the world are saying that it (summit diplomacy) was an act of submission and surrender resulting from economic difficulties. Most people in Pyongyang know that they are under economic sanctions because of nuclear development. Some say Kim Jong-un is just a greenhorn. <\/span><\/p>\n

We are repeatedly told at workplace assemblies or lectures for residents that \u2018We should not get caught up in fantasies even if our relationship with China has improved. This does not mean that the U.S. and South Korea are no longer our enemies. We must remain vigilant.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

-- Have the sanctions worsened Pyongyang's economy?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"You could say that incomes have halved. Business has been bad because of the decreased circulation of money. Goods are not selling well in the markets. With lower demand for taxis, the number of passengers has decreased. An acquaintance of mine quit driving taxis.<\/span><\/p>\n

-- What about food rations in Pyongyang?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The situation differs in each factory and workplace. White rice is supplied every month to national trade institutions, munitions factories, security agents, and police officers. In other institutions or factories, white rice is only given to the head of the household while other family members receive mixed grains. For June, we received 10 days\u2019 worth of rations. It was 3 days\u2019 worth of white rice and 7 days\u2019 worth of mixed grains. This is less than what was provided before.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u203b<\/span>Pyongyang is the only area in North Korea where food rations are being maintained.<\/span><\/p>\n

-- Is there a food shortage?<\/span><\/p>\n

\"No. We can buy food in the market. It\u2019s the state that does not have money. The treatment of soldiers in the People's Army has gotten significantly worse and parents (with children in the military) are dissatisfied. People say that they will starve to death if they do not borrow money once every three months.
\n<\/span>Next page: June exports to China fall by 92% compared to previous year...<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u25c6<\/span> June exports to China fall by 92% compared to previous year<\/strong><\/p>\n

On July 23, the Chinese Customs authorities released trade statistics with North Korea for the first half of the year. According to the statistics, North Korea's exports to China in June amounted to only 12,965,000 million USD (approximately 14.47 billion KRW), which is a 92% decrease from that of the same month of the previous year. Foreign exchange earnings continue to struggle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since June, smuggling has increased owing to the collusion of the Chinese authorities, but this will have little effect on total trade. The production of major exports such as coal, textiles, and iron ore has all but ended, and millions of people are experiencing a considerable decrease in cash revenues. Even the wealthy individuals of Pyongyang, who shared in the trade revenues, have been affected.<\/p>\n

\u25c6 <\/span>No change as expected<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

Disappointment is spreading in local cities as well. A reporting partner from Yanggang Province said,<\/span><\/p>\n

\"When Kim Jong-un talked with President Moon Jae-in at Panmunjom, I thought we would move closer toward unification and our lives would improve with South Korea\u2019s help, but business is becoming more difficult and life is getting worse every day. Although there are some trade companies that gained through smuggling, I want to run away to China or South Korea.\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Another reporting partner from a city in North Hamkyung Province expressed his disappointment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"There was no change as expected. Everyone seems to be disappointed. My wife goes out to work in the market, but we have days when there are no customers. There are many people who give up running their business because they would lose money by paying market taxes if they can\u2019t sell anything, so there is a rising number of people who complain about their financial hardships. (During the summits) I thought our lives would improve right away, but poverty is the only thing that will be left with us commoners.\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Editor\u2019s notes on North Korean reporters<\/a> <\/strong>
\nARCHIVE(pdf) >><\/a>
\nDPRK MAP >><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  2018\/Aug\/1 Recently it seems as if North Koreans\u2019 opinion of Kim Jong-un had improved and Kim had succeeded in st\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3831,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3830"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3830"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3830\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}