Front-line experience shows a different side of the DPRK

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea can seem a mysterious place for people who only get a glimpse of it from occasional news stories. I was among their number until I met a group of veteran businessmen who specialize in trade with the country, which borders China and imports all kinds of supplies from its larger neighbor. Now, the country is less abstract to me.

I’ve interviewed scholars who can talk about the DPRK’s relations with the rest of the world for hours (literally). However, I believe those businessmen, who make a living by constantly visiting the country and meeting its people, are the sort of experts we should listen to more.

In June, I interviewed Zhou Linqing, a 54-year-old entrepreneur from Dandong, Liaoning province, which borders the DPRK. We sat in his office, which was playing host to boxes of DRPK-style cold noodles, as well as a polite and extremely friendly female trade representative from the country.

“They (the people of the DPRK) are no different from us. They just do things differently,” Zhou said, sensing the feeling of surprise I had been trying hard to conceal. No expert on DPRK issues has ever told me something so fundamental and important when trying to understand the country.

In December, Zhou traveled to the DPRK and was taken to a new seafood restaurant in Pyongyang. “I was surprised to learn that the customers are prohibited from smoking in the restaurant. You see, the country is keeping up with the rest of the world,” he said.

Zhou was on a tour organized for a group of potential Chinese investors. He feels that the DPRK’s economic development is still slow, and UN-imposed sanctions have exacerbated the situation. “It was worse than I had expected, but the locals are still very proud and confident,” he said.

During the trip, Zhou noticed many apartment buildings under construction in Pyongyang. DPRK officials told him that the apartments are part of a major housing project, which aims to improve people’s lives. However, the UN’s ban on steel imports has slowed construction, while sourcing materials has also become an issue.

“Many people in the DPRK asked us when the sanctions will be lifted. That’s my question, too,” Zhou said. “Still, it’s a country that is eager to develop its economy and is packed with potential — especially for Chinese entrepreneurs who are the real backbone of China-DPRK trade.”

In Dandong, Zhou’s hometown, a new bridge crossing the Yalu River that separates China and the DPRK was completed several years ago, but it stands idle. He told me the locals regard the bridge as a symbol.

“China-DPRK economic cooperation will get on the fast track when the bridge is finally opened to traffic,” he said, adding that he has his eyes set on the golden opportunities that will flow when sanctions are finally lifted.