As winter makes way for the warmer spring weather, it becomes a popular time for weddings in both South and North Korea. In today’s segment, we’re going to look at wedding gifts in North Korea with reporter Kang Mi Jin.
The weather outside seems to be growing warmer every day. People say that it’s easiest to catch a cold during the transition between seasons, so I hope everyone’s taking care of their health. Today, we will discuss one of the most important gifts on the wedding registry in North Korea: the rice pot.
A little while back, a friend of mine was worrying about the customary gift exchange for her daughter’s upcoming wedding. I had long heard that North Korean parents prepare gifts for their in-laws through conversations with my North Korean contacts. It seems as if both North and South Korean parents face similar anxieties over wedding gifts.
According to socioeconomic status in North Korea, the family of the bride will either buy a South Korean brand Cuckoo rice cooker or a North Korean-made aluminum rice pot. Most parents obviously want to buy the former if they can afford it. Aware of this preference, vendors in the marketplace secretly sell such items away from the prying eyes of the market patrol officers.
Despite the North Korean authorities’ formidable restrictions, it seems as if the citizens’ interest in Hallyu (South Korean cultural wave) is only getting stronger. One can probably assume that the growing demand for the Cuckoo rice cooker is part of that wave, right?
Yes. This item has already become an heirloom of sorts that is passed down from generation to generation. Moreover, it has long been customary for families to prepare wedding gifts featuring South Korean brands.
The Cuckoo rice cooker is an especially popular item that is given to make a favorable impression on the bride. A groom who is able to afford one can hold his head high, and his family will also garner respect. As a result, families will do anything to get their hands on one of them. Because North Koreans caught selling South Korean products will either incur a fine or have their merchandise seized, merchants hide them in the boxes of Chinese products. They will also secretly sell South Korean goods from home. No matter how hard the North Korean authorities try to restrict such practices, the Hallyu wave is unstoppable.
Speaking of North Korean crackdowns, there has been a lot of talk about how the authorities are actually profiting from these underground trading practices. What do you have to say about that?
It’s true that those who are supposed to uphold the law are actually the ones breaking it the most. How does this happen? The North Korean authorities who seize such products from citizens end up keeping the contraband for themselves. For example, recently, a North Korean citizen from South Pyongan province visited relatives in China and brought back three Cuckoo rice cookers; one for him and two for his son and daughter. However, he only ended up bringing one back because the other two were confiscated by the North Korean authorities at customs.
The customs agent was quoted as saying: “It is selfish of you to have three rice cookers when many people do not even have one.” One can assume that the two rice cookers were pocketed by them. The North Korean citizen who had originally brought over the rice cookers said that all of the confiscated items were South Korean goods: electric razors, sneakers and even crackers. He also said that after each raid, the border guards will divide the goods amongst themselves. This is why people say that the the main targets of crackdowns should be the authorities themselves.
Is this sort of corruption very common?
Yes. I have heard of a government official whose house is full of South Korean goods. However, when asked about the product prices, he has no idea how much they cost, and his wife eventually admitted that such goods had come into their possession after being confiscated. His wife further stated that she understood why North Korean citizens try so hard to get their hands on South Korean products and become so angry when they were taken away. After using them herself, she commented on their high quality and questioned why such products were banned in the first place.
How much do South Korean Cuckoo rice cookers cost? And how do they compare with Chinese and North Korean brands?
A Cuckoo rice cooker at an average market in South Pyongan Province is about 248,000 KPW. In Ryanggang Province, near the Chinese-North Korean border, the price is a little lower at 210,000 KPW.
Meanwhile, a good Chinese rice cooker is about 175,000 KPW, while a lower quality one is around 81,000 KPW. One of my sources told me that Chinese rice cookers are generally sold at cheaper prices within the Ryanggang, North and South Hamgyong Provinces, and parts of North Pyongan Province. This price difference is mostly due to the proximity of these areas to China.
In addition, the price of North Korean aluminum rice pots differs according to size. Smaller pots can range from 70,000 to 100,000 KPW. A bigger one can cost up to 160,000 KPW. The general consensus among North Koreans is that North Korean rice pots are better than Chinese rice cookers. When asked why, I was told that it’s because of electricity. North Korean rice pots do not use electricity to cook rice. They are made out of aluminum and the rice is cooked over a fire. So when electricity is running low or unavailable, North Koreans can still use their aluminum rice pots.
I was wondering what sort of strategies average citizens use to illicitly buy Cuckoo rice cookers.
Some vendors will sell their South Korean products to customers using packaging in Chinese goods. At other times, people use word of mouth. Some vendors will secretly ask customers if they are interested in buying South Korean products, and the transaction will proceed from there. In addition, I have heard that some customers will express their interest in buying a Cuckoo rice cooker by showing a picture taken on their cell phone to vendors.
