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It seems to be common knowledge that North Korea is a country of comprehensive rationing. All food and many consumer goods are not supposed to be freely sold, but rather distributed by the state, even though since the 1990s this system has largely collapsed.
For many, the rationing system is synonymous with the Public Distribution System (PDS). In real life, North Korea has three parallel distribution systems that target the civilian population, as well as a separate system that takes care of the needs of the military (not to mention the special allotments of the elite).
The most important of all these systems is the aforementioned PDS which deals with grain only and is a nationwide institution. Grain rationing was first introduced in 1946, and from 1957 the PDS essentially became what it (theoretically) remains to this day.
Under the PDS, every citizen of North Korea is eligible for a grain ration (the size of which depends on the type of work that the recipient does). For instance, infants are issued 100 grams of grain per day, while workers doing heavy physical labor are eligible for 900 grams of grain. The typical ration is 700 grams.
Rations are universal and theoretically all miners across the country are supposed to have the same 900 grams of grain per day. This largely exists as a legal fiction now, but it still remains the stated goal of the system.
It is important that the PDS rations are given to recipients essentially for free. Another peculiarity is that rations are given not only in rice but in other less valuable and nutritious grains (like, say, corn and wheat flour). The ratio of rice to other grains has always varied greatly from one region to another.
In the 1970s when the system was still working properly, a white-collar worker in Pyongyang would receive two-thirds of his ration in rice, while his colleague somewhere in Sinuiju would probably be issued rice only on major holidays and would probably only be given corn the rest of time.
PDS rations are supposed to be delivered twice a month on fixed days. Usually a housewife takes her family's PDS coupons and goes to a distribution point that deals only with PDS grain distribution.
Apart from the nationwide PDS, North Korea has a separate system for farmers. The rations within this system (known as the bunbae system) are generally similar in size and content to the PDS rations, but are given for free (i.e. without token payment). It is also remarkable that these rations are not delivered twice a month, but rather are issued annually usually in October.
Aside from these two nationwide systems, there is also a separate local system that deals with basic consumption goods and major foodstuffs (excluding grain). Local governments issue rationing coupons for this system. The exact allocation depends on how many of a particular item is at the disposal of a local jurisdiction at a particular time.
For example, if a given city in the 1980s managed to get hold of say 500 black and white TV sets, 500 rationing coupons would be issued to be distributed at local enterprises in accordance with pre-arranged waiting lists.
This local distribution system (known as gonggeup) usually deals with such local food produce as eggs, fish, cabbage, pork and the like, as well as consumer goods like socks, footwear etc.
Nowadays, it is best that we discuss such things in the past tense, because most of these systems ceased to function in the 1990s. It seems that the local gonggeup system was hit hardest. Now a North Korean is unlikely to be able to get a pair of socks from their local jurisdiction's distribution system. Rather the average North Korean must go to market and purchase said socks at market prices.
The PDS came to a nearly complete halt in the late 1990s, but has partially recovered since then. According to recent research, some 70 percent of the urban population has at least partial access to the PDS as of now.
Only a minority of them however get full regular rations. Outside Pyongyang and some other major cities, most are only issued partial rations, which are of course not sufficient for survival. Most therefore have to rely on markets to meet their food needs.
It seems that the distribution system for farmers is still operational, however, and farmers still get their food allocation.
Nonetheless, the era of distribution has largely ended. In many regards, North Korea is now a market economy, even though the authorities are quite reluctant to admit this fact.
Professor Andrei Lankov was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and now teaches at Kookmin University in Seoul. You can reach him at anlankov@yahoo.com.
