Residents in North Korea are using protective suits meant for emergencies as raincoats or sunshades, which has left authorities displeased. However, the government’s insistence on forcing residents to purchase expensive protective gear has also stirred up public discontent.
According to a report by Radio Free Asia, a recent survey conducted by the Civil Defense Department of the central government in North Korea found that residents in Hweshan City, located in the Ryanggang Province, are unprepared for nuclear or chemical attacks. Hweshan City faces Changbai County in Jilin Province, China, across the Yalu River.
An official from the Civil Defense Department in Ryanggang Province told the radio station’s Korean division that inspectors strongly criticized the fact that more than half of the protective suits issued by the government to the public for protection against nuclear or chemical attacks had gone missing.
The official stated that residents of Hweshan City were compelled to purchase protective equipment in May, causing significant grievances. Each household was required to buy a set of protective suits, meaning not everyone in the household could use it in case of emergency.
These protective suits do not come with any respirators; they are simply plastic gowns with straps that people can quickly put on in the event of a biochemical attack. Nevertheless, they are still deemed expensive.
He said, “The price of one set of protective suit is 17,000 North Korean won, which is approximately $2 at the May exchange rate. This is outrageously expensive.”
In comparison, according to data from Asia Press in Japan, in May, rice in North Korea, considered a luxury item, was priced at 6,800 North Korean won per kilogram. At that time, the exchange rate was 1 US dollar to 9,500 North Korean won.
An official from the Ryanggang Province government informed the radio station that residents who were coerced into buying these protective suits discovered alternative uses for them, making their money more worthwhile.
The official stated that the inspection results revealed that many residents of Hweshan City used these protective suits as raincoats or sunshades during the summer, a behavior that officials who should prohibit such actions turned a blind eye to.
He mentioned that only the wealthiest residents living in the city center can afford umbrellas or raincoats. Therefore, poorer households repurposed the protective suits to shield themselves from rain and sunlight.
He noted that while only Ryanggang Province released the results of the inspection on protective suits, the outcome would likely be the same if other regions were also inspected.
The above-mentioned civil defense official pointed out that the residents of Ryanggang Province are ill-prepared for war or other emergency situations.
He said that inspectors strongly criticized officials in Ryanggang Province for basing their disaster preparedness strategy on the assumption that the city would not be targeted for a nuclear attack.
He said, “They also strongly criticized Hweshan City for making no progress in constructing air-raid shelters over the past 30 years.”