North Korean authorities are demanding cash from the public for flood recovery, causing tensions between neighborhood watch unit heads and wealthy “donju” traders.
Speaking anonymously, a source in Ryanggang Province told Daily NK on Monday that Hyesan’s people’s committee ordered neighborhood watch units “to secure cash to support the cost of supplies needed for flood recovery, including to repair damaged homes.”
Initially, households contributed 30,000 North Korean won each. When this proved insufficient, unit heads turned to “browbeating” donju, or North Korea’s wealthy entrepreneurial class, demanding between 1 million and 5 million won — equivalent to 167 to 830 kilograms of rice in local markets.
“People who cannot put three meals on the table can’t even imagine that kind of money,” the source said. “As neighborhood watch unit heads could never get that money from ordinary people, they’re squeezing donju.”
Unit heads, fearing criticism for failing to meet quotas, are visiting donju households multiple times daily. While some donju comply due to the unit heads’ ability to report non-compliance to authorities, most resist.
One donju in Hyesan told a persistent unit head, “Stop making such a clamor. When have you ever helped me make a living?” Another kicked a unit head out, saying, “You’ve stared me down over a spoonful of rice, and now you’re asking me for money? Outrageous.”
“In the past, donju tried to get along with unit heads and even slipped them cash, but recently, they aren’t putting up with it because the demands are too frequent,” the source said. “With the state constantly ordering people to raise money, tensions are exploding at the bottom.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.