Oh The Humanity

(Via. NK Econ. Watch) North Korea “vows” to use the returned $25 million for “humanitarian” purposes. That sounds great but if this report from the DailyNK is true, then chances are the people are going to lose that money as soon as they get it.

Recently, a portion of laborers in Hoiryeong, North Hamkyung province received six months of food provisions. The provisions were for laborers, railroad laborers, the aged, and farming laborers. However, if one sees into the situation, one can see the complex and uncertain reality of North Korea.

North Korea, from several years ago, tried to resolve the food shortage issue by allocating collective farm land to a factory enterprise in a region of North Hamkyung province, so that laborers could farm themselves.

Laborers earning farming rights submit 10~30% to the enterprise factory and after giving 10% to the country, can use the rest themselves.

In Hoiryeong recently, an event took place where laborers gave an allotment of their production materials to enterprises and to the nation, but the government made up “provision documents” regarding the remainder of the production, which was for private use, as “national provision.”

These were fake provisions, not actual food provisions to the laborers. If true, this is no different than the North Korean government embezzling the undeniable private property of laborers who are paying national taxes and have paid farming fees.

As if there were not enough taxes and fees to go around, the government makes up a couple extra more fees out of thin air in order to confiscate some more property. That’s feudalism disguised as communism at its best.