Comments on: More on North Korea’s Great Confiscation

By: Chris in South Korea

Chris in South Korea — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:18:26 +0000

A great follow-up to an otherwise intriguing story.

Is this the tipping point? No, not yet. People have been getting by without money for many decades. These ‘wealthy merchants’ are smarter than trusting the NK government, although I wonder how many people could actually be called ‘wealthy’…

What does it take to start a rebellion? Organization, willingness, and nothing to lose… I’d say the second and third are there, although the first could take some time…

By: kushibo

kushibo — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:59:08 +0000

Thanks for the updates, Joshua. I wrote an update that links back to this and then ends with me babbling about tipping points. It’s too disjointed to link back to here.

By: derwoolley

derwoolley — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:00:59 +0000

1…How do you bribe someone in non-existent money? Local policemen, train inspectors, work supervisors and all the minor officials expected small gifts. They’ve now disappeared when small bills disappeared. An unhappy minor officialdom.
2…How does one pay the military? Their salaries can’t increase because that would fuel inflation. An unhappy soldiery.
3…Doesn’t this mean that the economy is back to Bartertown? Except there’s nothing to barter either. The harvest was disrupted by the forced work schedules of the last four months. An unhappy mercantile and farming community
4…A “reform” that alienates all soldiers, all market traders, all minor officials and all farmers doesn’t mean revolution, but it does mean misery and (we can hope) a loss of faith in the leadership as a whole.
5…The fat cats are getting fatter since the real and counterfeit US and Chinese currency has just gone up massively in value. Now wouldn’t it be nice if we could identify and publish exactly who in the hierarchy just multiplied his assets?

By: jimmy

jimmy — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:40:07 +0000

I guess if anyone had doubts about the regime’s ability to control information, they should be under no illusions now.

Imagine, except for the elite (which, I gather has thier wealth in dollars or other currency), the overwhelming bulk of the rest of the country had absolutely no idea it seems.

Don’t know whether to be impressed, or cry.