Also Translates to ‘Cleanse’
Hoeryong, North Korea, labors under some unenviable distinctions: it is one of the worst, most blighted places in arguably the world’s worst, most blighted country; it sits near Camp 22, almost certainly the very worst place to be on this earth; it is a hot spot in North Korea’s spreading mystery-pandemic; it is a major transit point for people who are trying to sneak out of North Korea; and it contains some of North Korea’s most discontented and potentially rebellious people as a result. Hoeryong is not hell, but you can see it from there.
The regime might be content to isolate Hoeryong and let it die on its own, but Hoeryong is also next to China, and it is the home town of the mother of the Dear Leader. Those things attract the wrong kind of attention. Too bad for Hoeryong:
In a telephone interview with this newspaper, Chung Il-guk (alias), a businessman trading in Hoeryong, said, “Last December, Chairman Kim ordered that because this year is the 90th anniversary of his mother’s birthday, Hoeryong should be “˜purified.'” This means that he will not stand by and watch as Hoeryong becomes the outpost for introducing capitalist culture.
Chung said, “After the order was conveyed, work forces from the government, the army, security offices, the prosecutor’s office and the court were called together and they formed a joint-inspection group, which has started an intense crackdown. He added, “The first move that they made was to remove all trading companies that have their bases in Hoeryong.
As a result, and as other sources have reported, it is now extremely difficult to get out of that part of North Korea.
Regulars will recall that the regime attempted the “cleanse” Hoeryong of all traces of nonconformity nearly two years ago. That seems not to have worked out for them, despite their willingness to stand people before firing squads … and before crowds of citizens who were marched in to observe (more). As with the present case, the 2005 crackdown was accompanied by reports of flagging discipline in the security forces. When there is a report of the regime being challenged and under stress, that report is most likely from Hoeryong. If there’s mass unrest in North Korea’s future, Hoeryong and Chongjin are the two places where it’s more likely to happen than anywhere else.
Just imagine how much that stress would be magnified if someone initiated mass clandestine drops of radios, cell phones, and leaflets.
ht: Richardson.