Great Confiscation Updates: North Korea Bans All Foreigners

[Update: The Daily NK thinks the ban is “not news.”]

So how worried is North Korea about the potential for more unrest and rioting? As of yesterday, it will ban all foreigners from entering the country until at least February to make sure there won’t be any foreign witnesses to any demonstrations or massacres.

North Korea reportedly plans to ban foreigners from the country from Sunday until early February, apparently to allow unrest caused by this month’s shock currency reform to die down.

Ju Sang-song, the minister of People’s Security, is in China, according to the North’s Korean Central News Agency, though it gave no reason for his visit. The trip by the North’s top internal security official may aim to seek cooperation from Beijing in preventing a mass exodus of North Korean middle class citizens angry over the devaluation of their savings. [Chosun Ilbo]

Wow. They must be fairly concerned; after all, the North tends not to let in foreigners unless they’re bringing hard currency. Meanwhile, in Chongjin, there’s another report of a public execution:

The Seoul-based aid group Good Friends said in a newsletter Tuesday that authorities publicly executed a citizen in the northeastern city of Chongjin on Dec. 6 after he incinerated a pile of old bills at home over concern he could be investigated over how he amassed the money. [AP]

In times like these, it’s noteworthy that , or at least were, when people had money. What I can’t figure out is why the regime is allowing this, especially now. Maybe someone can explain to me how the North Korean government expects to control these things, but it seems exceptionally dangerous for this regime to allow people to have a way of communicating between different cities and regions if unrest breaks out. Frankly, I see this as a good thing that won’t last.