A disabled woman in her 40s and her daughter recently died from carbon monoxide poisoning in the North Korean city of Rason, leaving local residents grief-stricken by the preventable tragedy.
According to a source in North Hamgyong province who spoke to Daily NK, the woman, surnamed Kim, died on March 1 after members of the local Socialist Women’s Union discovered her and her daughter unconscious in their home. Kim’s daughter had already died by the time they arrived, and although Kim was rushed to a hospital, she did not survive.
Union members had gone to check on Kim when she unexpectedly missed the regular Saturday struggle session—an event she consistently attended despite often skipping other union activities due to not having proper clothing.
The tragedy provoked strong emotions when union members arranged Kim’s home after her death, discovering extreme poverty conditions. “The only food left in the house was a bowl of corn flour and a few spoonfuls of salt,” the source reported. “She had no soy sauce, soybean paste or basic foodstuffs like cooking oil or vegetables that most families have and hardly any possessions.”
Kim, who had a disabled leg that prevented her from working or engaging in commerce, had been raising her daughter alone with no other family members to support them.
Local residents criticized authorities for failing to prevent the deaths, with the source noting: “Even though a mother and daughter sadly died, neither the people’s committee nor the neighborhood office did anything. Neighboring households simply collected money and rice for a memorial table and held their funeral.”
With no relatives to handle arrangements, local police managed administrative procedures while the Socialist Women’s Union and neighborhood watch unit jointly organized their funeral.
March 18, 2025 at 06:53AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)