The public catering management office in Kaechon, South Pyongan province, has begun replacing many vendors at soft drink stalls. Officially, this is part of a performance review, but people say it’s really a high-handed act to squeeze more kickbacks from vendors.
“Soft drink stalls in the Kaechon area are undergoing inspection by the public catering management office,” a Daily NK source in South Pyongan province said recently. “The office is using this as an opportunity to replace vendors who have performed poorly.”
According to the source, vendors at soft drink stalls in Kaechon must pay 300,000 North Korean won (roughly $41) a month in kickbacks to the office for each location. For good locations, they must pay even higher kickbacks.
The problem is that during the recent performance inspection, the office has targeted even vendors who have conscientiously paid their monthly kickbacks for replacement.
In particular, the office has cited various reasons for replacing them—records of selling restricted or banned items, sanitation issues, or even poor service attitudes.
“These reasons are just excuses,” the source said. “Ultimately, it depends on whether you can afford to pay more in kickbacks or not.” In other words, the office is using inspections to pressure vendors, aiming to squeeze more money out of them.
Vendors trapped between demands and investment losses
Vendors are very unhappy with this. Initially, they paid at least $100 to $300 per stall location, but with the office adding fixed monthly kickbacks—and, as if that weren’t enough, attempting to squeeze even more out of them—they are naturally resentful.
“Vendors complain that the word ‘inspection’ is ultimately an order to pay more, and that the office is robbing them,” the source said.
“People in the know say that the latest inspection is being used as a means for the office to secure funds or for officials to make money, not to normalize catering facility operations or improve service,” he added.
Even ordinary people look askance at the office’s behavior, but vendors are biting the bullet and paying office officials their kickbacks to avoid being replaced, for fear of falling out of favor and being driven from their stalls without recouping their initial investment.
Nevertheless, the office has been unilaterally informing vendors of their replacement for reasons such as poor sales, sales of inappropriate items, sanitation issues, or poor attitudes, without refunding the stall fees vendors paid as part of their initial investment.
January 16, 2026 at 01:04AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)