By Choi Sung-jin
The international community's sanctions on North Korea are beginning to take effect, as more residents under the isolated regime express discontent with the leadership, government officials said here Monday.
"As the economic situation gets worse, there are some signs within the North that popular anxiety and discontent could lead to social disturbance," said a Ministry of Unification official, releasing part of the information related to North Korean residents' sentiments.
The official said the government has confirmed the intelligence through various channels. But it is rare for the ministry to disclose this information.
Such intelligence is interpreted as signs of some North Koreans turning their backs on the leadership, who are forcing the people to contribute more money and labor to prepare for the seventh congress of the Workers' Party as the North's economy shrinks because of dwindling trade with China since Pyongyang's nuclear and missile provocations, North Korea watchers said.
"Pyongyang has propagandized the nuclear test and rocket launch as major accomplishments of its leader, Kim Jong-un, but some North Koreans are angry these feats have not led to the improvement of their livelihoods but tightened international sanctions on the reclusive regime," the official said.
Another official said that as life gets tougher because of sanctions, voices of discontent are growing louder, especially among young people (although these fall short of developing into turmoil).
North Korean media outlets are trying to downplay the effects of sanctions but because they are mentioning another "march of hardship," it indicates the difficulties and anxieties caused by the sanctions, the official said.
These officials, however, are yet to present concrete statistics about economic troubles in the North that back up their analysis.
"The prices of some daily necessities, including rice, have risen, especially along Sino-Korean border regions, but the increases have not been steep yet," the official said. "It will take some more time to confirm actual damage to the North Korean economy."
The international community's sanctions on North Korea are beginning to take effect, as more residents under the isolated regime express discontent with the leadership, government officials said here Monday.
"As the economic situation gets worse, there are some signs within the North that popular anxiety and discontent could lead to social disturbance," said a Ministry of Unification official, releasing part of the information related to North Korean residents' sentiments.
The official said the government has confirmed the intelligence through various channels. But it is rare for the ministry to disclose this information.
Such intelligence is interpreted as signs of some North Koreans turning their backs on the leadership, who are forcing the people to contribute more money and labor to prepare for the seventh congress of the Workers' Party as the North's economy shrinks because of dwindling trade with China since Pyongyang's nuclear and missile provocations, North Korea watchers said.
"Pyongyang has propagandized the nuclear test and rocket launch as major accomplishments of its leader, Kim Jong-un, but some North Koreans are angry these feats have not led to the improvement of their livelihoods but tightened international sanctions on the reclusive regime," the official said.
Another official said that as life gets tougher because of sanctions, voices of discontent are growing louder, especially among young people (although these fall short of developing into turmoil).
North Korean media outlets are trying to downplay the effects of sanctions but because they are mentioning another "march of hardship," it indicates the difficulties and anxieties caused by the sanctions, the official said.
These officials, however, are yet to present concrete statistics about economic troubles in the North that back up their analysis.
"The prices of some daily necessities, including rice, have risen, especially along Sino-Korean border regions, but the increases have not been steep yet," the official said. "It will take some more time to confirm actual damage to the North Korean economy."
