A woman in North Korea’s North Hamgyong province was caught accepting remittance money from relatives who had defected, but managed to secure her release by paying a substantial bribe. The case highlights the pervasive nature of corruption in the country.
According to a source in the province who spoke to Daily NK recently, the incident occurred in mid-January when police at Musan Station detained a Chongjin resident in her 60s during questioning. The woman had obtained a travel pass to Musan to collect a Lunar New Year remittance from family members who had fled the country.
“During their search, police found 30,000 Chinese yuan on her,” the source said. “Because she had family members who had defected to South Korea, the police dismissed her explanations and took her in for interrogation. However, her relatives gathered their resources and paid a 60,000 yuan bribe to get her released.”
The source noted that this incident demonstrates how in North Korea, anything can be accomplished with enough money to pay bribes.
Travel within North Korea is heavily restricted, with permits being particularly difficult to obtain for border regions. This is especially true for those with family members who have defected. Even with proper documentation, travelers must pass through numerous checkpoints and inspections along border-bound routes.
However, the woman’s ability to obtain a travel permit and clear multiple checkpoints through bribery illustrates how corruption has become deeply embedded in North Korean society. Even those caught in criminal acts can escape punishment by paying off the right officials.
While North Korea continues to intensify enforcement and penalties for receiving foreign remittances through unofficial channels, law enforcement itself has grown increasingly corrupt. The prevailing attitude is that any problem can be resolved with money.
“People say bribes are the answer to everything,” the source explained. “While the government emphasizes law enforcement’s role in eliminating non-socialist behavior, in practice, their main function has become extracting money from citizens.
“The reality is that law enforcement officers now depend on bribes to survive. As policing and punishments become more severe, people are forced to pay larger bribes, pushing them into financial difficulties.”
February 06, 2025 at 12:39PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)