North Korea is tightening controls on pine mushroom sales and transport, aiming to monopolize foreign currency from exports of the rare fungi.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source in North Hamgyong province reported recently that Management Office No. 5, a foreign currency earning entity, has established collection centers in prime mushroom picking areas on orders from Room 39, the Workers’ Party’s main foreign currency agency. The centers have been set up in Onsong, Musan, Kyongwon and Hoeryong.
Room 39 is known to be responsible for managing the Kim family’s slush fund. This move appears to be part of a government initiative to corner the foreign currency earned from pine mushroom sales.
“The Management Office No. 5 branch in Onsong county set up pine mushroom collection centers at ten locations in Punggye, Pungchon and Tonpo villages, with full authority to levy taxes on pine mushroom sales,” the source said. “The collection centers have stocked up on oil, rice and wheat to trade people for pine mushrooms and are ready to begin operations.”
That suggests that North Koreans who sell pine mushrooms they have foraged to the collection centers are more likely to be paid in barter than in cash.
Government warns of unauthorized mushroom picking
To prevent private buyers from outbidding official collection centers for premium pine mushrooms and smuggling them abroad, local party committees have issued stern warnings. They’ve announced that purchasing pine mushrooms from individuals could result in labor camp sentences or harsher punishments.
“Currently, village party committees and companies have been given pine mushroom quotas ranging from 500 to 1,500 kilograms. Each organization is in discussion with regional forestry workers about how many people should be sent to gather pine mushrooms, and the pickers are currently being selected,” the source said.
The discussions about how many people will be sent mushrooming and who will be chosen are aimed at preventing unauthorized people from going out to pick pine mushrooms.