North Korea’s Central Committee has dispatched inspectors nationwide to investigate official corruption in the restaurant industry following a recent secretariat meeting, Daily NK has learned.
The inspections have spooked officials and devastated business revenues.
“Central Committee inspectors have been scrutinizing officials since early this month. Restaurants are really feeling the impact,” a source in North Pyongan province told Daily NK recently.
The crackdown follows the 30th Enlarged Meeting of the Secretariat, where members of Nampo’s Onchon county party committee were severely reprimanded for accepting free drinks at a bar. Businesses implicated in the incident, including local restaurants and entertainment venues, now face serious consequences.
Inspectors are questioning proprietors about official visits, their purposes, and accompanying guests. With inspections ongoing, regular patrons who visited for business meetings or favors have disappeared, leaving restaurants nearly empty, the source said.
“Last month, private dining rooms were packed with holiday gatherings and new year business meetings. Now, in the wake of the secretariat’s meeting, customers have vanished. Restaurant owners are complaining they can’t make ends meet,” the source said.
North Korean restaurants have thrived over the past decade as dining-out culture flourished. However, they now face a severe crisis following the Onchon county party committee incident.
According to the source, North Korean restaurants fall into three categories: event venues, entertainment establishments, and convenience eateries.
Event venues primarily serve large gatherings, educational groups, and tourists. Pyongyang’s Okryu Restaurant and Chongryu Restaurant are prominent examples.
Entertainment establishments include bars and dog meat restaurants catering to high-ranking officials.
Convenience eateries, located near military bases and train stations, serve simple meals to the general public.
“A bowl of dwaeji meori gukbap (pork head soup with rice) costs about 3,500 won at a local market, 7,000 won at a convenience eatery, and over 15,000 won at an entertainment venue. Ordinary people never visit entertainment establishments. Only local officials and donju (weathy entrepreneurs) entertaining senior officials for business purposes go there,” the source said.
“Now, with customers gone, the private rooms for special guests have sat empty for over ten days. Many worry this situation might persist even after inspections end. Some fear it could mark a regression in dining-out culture.”
February 20, 2025 at 05:00AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)