Corruption Rapidly Spreading in North Korea

The cousin of Kim Chul Kwon, who makes a living by trading with China, is a senior officer of a large North Korean city security station, or police station, by the East Sea. After serving 10 years in the military, he joined the security station, lived by the principles of loyalty and integrity, and kept being promoted. However, he was so short of money that his would wife would plead, “Please, can’t you accept bribes like everybody else?”

He changed completely a few years ago. Nowadays, he is only a half-time security officer, while also a half-time trade businessman. He even has a fax machine in his office to communicate with Japan. Kim’s cousin also has a creditor and a middleman that sells products he brings from Japan. His actual job is to personally address issues that might cause problems and prevent crackdowns. About 50 percent of profits go to his pocket, and he also has various mistresses.

The cousin provided funds for Chul Kwon’s family, saying, “You should also make your own living,” and issued a permit to cross to China. Thanks to his cousin, Kim’s family has never had its merchandise confiscated by crackdowns.

According to Kim, his cousin changed a few years ago when he went on an official trip and spent a few days in a wealthy house. After coming back home, his cousin seemed to blame himself, “I think I have not lived the right way.”

Just as the case of Kim’s cousin, recently North Korea is becoming rapidly corrupt due to the collusion of the “power class that wants to earn money” and the “merchant class that needs power.” In reality, for a long period of time, those in power in North Korea have exerted omnipotent power and led the most affluent lives in North Korea.

There are countless satires on such North Korean power class. “Party officials proudly, military officials silently, security officers safely, and secret police officers invisibly bilk.”

“Platoon commanders trivially, company commanders in mid-size, battalion commander in large scale, regiment commander continuously, division commanders restlessly, and corps commanders partially take chunks.”

Nevertheless, with the advent of the newly rich class, it has become difficult to be opulent only by taking bribes and ripping people off. The trend is, even without graduating from a top university or not being a member of the party, if a man is rich, he is the most sought-after groom. The main interest of party officials also has shifted from power to money.

In the early 1990s, the first generation of the newly rich making their fortune by trading with foreign countries appeared, but they were pointed as the breeding ground of corruption, and most of them had their assets confiscated, sent to prison, or to the firing squad. Until that time, power meant everything.

However, with the severe economic crisis in the mid 1990s, the “moral values” of the ruling class collapsed. When rationing was cut off, even Kim Il Sung University professors, renowned for their integrity, would meddle with grades by receiving bribes. Bribery became more conspicuous. Currently, they are jumping into profit-making by using their powers.

Ethnic Korean-Chinese Choi Kil Bong, who has done business with both Russia and North Korea, sighs, “When I look at North Korea, China and Russia seem so much less corrupt.”