Open Sources: Daily NK prints Kim Jong Il’s shopping list

So I guess North Korea isn’t constitutionally incapable of importing food after all. The Daily NK pulled up some stats compiled by the South Korean government and Chinese customs (what, they publish those?) and broke it all down. In addition to importing $46 million worth of food last year, a whopping 4% of the total value of its imports, they bought a few other things:

In comparison, around 10 million dollars were used to purchase high quality liquor, cigarettes and others for privileged classes. The amount of cigarette imports, such as Marlboro, Mild Seven and others, is 7.5 million dollars. 2.4 million dollars were used to buy Cognac or whisky like Chivas Regal, Hennessy X.O. and other kinds of alcohol. [….]

It was reported that other items, such as international designer brands clothes, watches, and other items and electronic goods from SONY and Samsung were also imported.

Presumably, North Korea also bought plenty of other things that don’t appear in any foreign government’s official statistics. And Chris, if you’re reading this, can we find out a little more about the basis for the statement that “North Korean authorities sold wheat it had received from the international community to other countries?” It would also be interesting to know what the food was, since importing corn or even rice has different implications than, say, this:

Some ruling elites also enjoyed McDonald’s hamburgers delivered from China via Air Koryo, North Korea’s flagship airline, the official said, without elaborating.

In 2006 and 2010, China voted for U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874, which prohibit the import of luxury goods into North Korea. North Korea is currently appealing for international food aid. Discuss among yourselves.

Not for the first time, it’s reported that North Korean border guards have shoot-to-kill orders. It’s not difficult for me to believe that someone issued orders of that kind. What’s difficult for me to believe is Open News has sources that can reliably trace those orders to Kim Jong Eun. First, I have trouble believing that anything coming from a “high-level” source in North Korea isn’t really disinformation or gossip. Second, I doubt that Kim Jong Eun is giving orders of this significance on his own.

As North Korean markets recover from the Great Confiscation, merchants seek to replace lost capital by turning to loan sharks, many of them government officials.