This article was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission.
North Koreans are using protective gear issued by the government for emergencies as raincoats and sun shades, angering central authorities, residents told Radio Free Asia.
A recent investigation by the central government’s civil defense department found that the city of Hyesan, in the northern province of Ryanggang on the border with China, was ill-prepared for a nuclear or chemical attack.
“In particular, the inspectors strongly criticized the issue of the loss of more than half of the protective gear that the state had distributed to residents’ homes to prepare them for nuclear and biochemical weapon attacks by the enemy,” a member of the Ryanggang civil defense force told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
Residents of the city were forced to purchase the protective gear in May, which they complained about profusely, he said. Each house had to buy a single set of protective gear, meaning that not everyone in the family would even be able to use it in an emergency.
But that might not even matter. The protective gear, without any kind of respirator, amounts to little more than a plastic gown with straps that can be quickly tied to the body in the event of a biochemical attack. Even so, the gear was costly.
“The price of one set of protective gear is 17,000 won, which was nearly U.S.$2 at the exchange rate in May,” he said. “It was ridiculously expensive.”
For context, in May, the price of rice — considered a luxury in North Korea — was 6,800 won per kilogram (2.2 pounds), according to the Osaka-based AsiaPress news outlet that focuses on North Korea. The exchange rate at the time was 9,500 won to the dollar.
Since then rice has increased to 9,400 won per kilogram, but the dollar is much stronger these days, valued at 28,000 won.
Multiple uses
The residents who were forced to buy the flimsy-but-pricey protective gear found ways to get their money’s worth, an official from the provincial government told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.
“As a result of the official inspection, it was revealed that many families in Hyesan used the protective gear as a substitute for raincoats in the summer,” he said. “Residents who farmed in the open fields also used the protective gear as a sunshade in the summer, but the [local] officials who were supposed to crack down on this sort of thing turned a blind eye to it.”
Only the wealthiest residents living in the city center can afford umbrellas or raincoats, and poorer families therefore repurposed the protective gear, the official said.
“In the summer, factories and companies were often mobilized for road construction or railway repairs, and at such times, the protective gear was ideal for blocking rain and sunlight,” he said. “As a result, a lot of it got damaged or became unusable and was thrown away.”
The provincial official said that the local civil defense authorities were not in the habit of inspecting emergency supplies, so they were not even aware of the protective gear issue. They were ordered to resolve the issue before the new year.
“Although the reality of the protective gear situation has only been revealed in Ryanggang province, it’ll be the same once any of the other regions are inspected,” he said.
The inspection found that the province was poorly prepared for war or other emergency situations, the civil defense force member said.
“The inspectors strongly criticized the Ryanggang province officials for basing their preparedness strategy on the assumption that the enemy would not be able to launch a nuclear attack on Hyesan because it is so close to China,” he said. “They also were very critical of Hyesan for not making progress in the construction of air raid shelters over the past 30 years.”
