N. Korea To Restart Full Ideological Checks Of Citizens

Chosun Ilbo ^ | 08/28/04 | Cho Joon-shik, Kang Chol-hwan

[TigerLikesRooster]

/begin my translation

N. Korea To Restart Full Ideological Checks Of Citizens

Three years after 'July 1st Economic Management Improvement Decree' was implemented in 2002, prices of various goods have been sky-rocketing in N. Korea, making living conditions of N. Koreans much worse than before, it has been learned.

A reliable diplomatic source in Beijing on (Aug.) 23rd commented, "Since July 1st Decree, price of rice went up sharply, exchange rate for a (U.S.) dollar is now more than 2,000 (N. Korean) Won, the frustration of (N. Korean) citizens is mounting to the serious level."

According to him, right after July 1st Decree is announced, rice cost 45 Won for a kilogram, but went up to 240 Won early this year, which is more than five-fold increase, and costs more than 500 Won in recent days. Exchange rate for a U.S. dollar was 230 Won right after July 1st Decree, 500 Won in late 2002, reached 1,000 Won in late 2003, and went beyond 2,000 Won in recent days.

According to this source, as the value of (N. Korean) currency is going down, the purchasing power of people also plummeted, while the price is going up. Their economic hardship is doubling.

The source went on to present his analysis that the this kind of economic situation stemmed from the problem that the market economy was introduced while industrial production(agriculture, raw material, manufacturing) cannot meet the demand.

In the mean time, N. Korean regime tried to tighten its loosening control over people by restarting the ideological background checks of residents, a Chinese source conveyed.

The Chinese source said, "(In N. Korea) escapees and missing people are on the sharp rise. The number of people caught with anti-government slurs are growing. N. Korean authorities organized the 'Ideological Background Reexamination Squads' and started the full-fledged operation."

Along with this drive, in Pyongyang, strict screening is applied to its citizens, some of whom were deported to provinces, according to a N. Korean on a visit to China

He said, "since they allowed anybody, who can pay $5,000-10,000, to live in Pyongyang, there has been a influx of many with bad ideological background. The recent deportation is to filter out these 'unstable elements'"

From Beijing
Cho Joon-shik, Kang Chol-hwan

/end my translation

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[Thermalseeker]

The History Channel had an interesting show the other night on NK. Much like the Palestinians they are teaching their kids at a very young age to hate the "yankees". One of the songs they were teaching elementary school kids had words to the affect "hate, hate hate, so you can shoot, shoot, shoot better and kill our enemy the yankees". Sickening.

The level of brainwashing in NK was astonishing. Another thing that amazed me is how the government is promoting the consumption of grass as a food staple. This is one bubble that is about to burst, IMO.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #3

Yeah. Their indoctrination starts early.

[kddid]

'Ideological Background Reexamination Squads'

Here is the answer to North Korea's problem. Throw 100,000 in camps, work, starve, and beat them to death. Culling the herd. Isn’t this what Ilk does?

[Spok]

"N. Korea To Restart Full Ideological Checks Of Citizens"

This is series. What started at UC Berkeley has apparently spread to Asia.

[Captain Rhino]

In the mid-1980's, I did several training deployments to Korea with the Marines. During these I made friends with a Gunnery Sergeant (E-7) who was the chief of our intelligence section's interrogator translator team.

In the course of our conversations, I asked his opinion of the effectiveness of North Korean indoctrination of its citizens. (This came up because the world at the time was witnessing the disintegration of the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc and the loosening of Communist Party control in mainland China.) It was his opinion that the indoctrination of the North Koreans was highly effective for two reasons: 1) unlike the Soviets, Eastern Europeans, and even mainland Chinese, they had no alternative source(s) of information, and 2)the North Korean government was so effective in identifying and eliminating dissent against the regime. So even if a North Korean suspected something was wrong, they had no unfiltered information to compare/contrast the situation in North Korea to other parts of the world. And if they did somehow conclude something was rotten in Pyongyang, just talking about it would merit, at minimum, a term in a reeducation camp.

Since we were deployed there as part of the US-ROK defense alliance, the conversation inevitably turned to the fighting qualities of the North Koreans. "Tough, well-trained soldiers," he said. "Don't expect any surrenders or defections. After nearly 40 years of continuous indoctrination, you can starve them, you can kill them, but, from the neck up, Kim Il Sung owns them."

That was nearly 20 years ago. Still true. If it comes to blows, we will probably have to kill quite a few of them before that nut (DPRK) cracks.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #7

On a bright side, these days many people go in and out of China just to get enough to eat. Smuggling activities are thriving. There are getting a lot more outside info now. Please read the following post:

The Summary of Up-to-date N. Korean Intels

[Reactionary]

Gee, communists are conducting ideological purges. I'm sure liberals will be outraged, seeing that they're great fans of "diversity" and "free expression."

[coloradan]

In other news, Kerry is calling to ban the Swift Boat book. "We can't have any subversive ideas around like that," he said. Next: Sports, right after this.

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Yeah, there was a great documentary on "Frontline" about the same subject.

A journalist, along with his camera crew, was allowed into North Korea for several months, filming every aspect of Korean life-at least, those parts that the "Dear Leader" would allow him to document.

It truly was a disturbing film.

[Captain Rhino]

Thanks for the link.

Never underestimate the capacity of enslaved people to endure the unendurable.

[David1]

I saw that as well. They treat the "Dear Leader" as a god. Every home, at least in Pyongyang, has a radio that cannot be turned off tuned to a government station feeding propaganda. The children trained to entertain the "Dear Leader." All very disturbing. There was a moment the lights went out and the North Korean lady said, "Damn Americans." ROTFLMAO ;-)) Apparently everything wrong that happens is blamed on the US. LOL!!!!

[Hollywoodghost]

Now is the time to attack--This shows they are getting weak. Promiss the NK troops food and a chance at a better life and they will lay down their arms. Communism doesn't work! We got to take out this dictator before he gets to big for his jack boots.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Ping

[The Scourge of Yazid]

Yes, they even have a certain amount of time (I suppose that in the DPRK, it's more like the "Seventy minutes of hate.") alloted for despising the dreaded, Western economic and cultural colossus.

It truly is disturbing, when you stop to think about it.

[abner]

I have a question for you since you seem to have quite a bit of knowledge about NK.

I get hits on my web site from North Korea infrequently, but I do get them. Are they from government entities or dissidents? It kind of freaks me out when I get them. But, I'm hoping that they are dissidents looking for another way.

BTW- Can you put me on your ping list?

[abner]

Oops. I suppose I should put the web site link up...

US Flag Balloon

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #17

Sure. You will be on the list.

As for pings from N. Korea, they are most likely from government entities. Their Cybersquad are collecting info on Internet. Your site sounds conservative judging from its name. That may be why they are looking into it. Opposition research, you know. It is also possible that just like anybody using Internet at his work, they could surf on sites unrelated to their work.

[abner]

Thanks. I will look forward to your pings.

My site is not Conservative persay, but it is about symbols of America and it has the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and corny stuff like that.