It has been reported that North Hamgyong Province has begun cracking down on illegal medical procedures prevalent among residents.
A source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on the 20th, “As non-medical practices among residents became increasingly more severe, North Hamgyong Province defined them as capitalist practices and, in accordance with the policy of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, began cracking down strongly through judicial authorities.”
The ‘non-medical practices’ pointed out by Do were known to be illegal procedures performed at home for cosmetic purposes rather than surgeries or procedures performed at formal hospitals for medical purposes such as double eyelid surgery, wrinkle surgery, and tattooing.
The message is that he strongly warned that such illegal practices are based on capitalist culture, and that making money through them would be considered an anti-socialist act and a challenge to the system.
“The crackdown began in late last month,” the source said. “In particular, in Chongjin and Kimchaek cities, crackdowns on non-medical practitioners identified through branch offices and people’s units have begun in earnest.”
In reality, the city’s security service’s mobile strike force is conducting surprise inspections of residents’ homes to crack down on illegal medical practices, but it has been reported that some residents are leaving their homes and wandering around aimlessly to avoid the inspections.
Meanwhile, the party has announced that they will provide a corresponding reward if you report or accuse those who perform non-medical acts, and there have been cases of people reporting on or hitting people in the back of the head, which has led to distrust among residents, according to sources.
Some residents who were arrested by the Mobile Strike Force and taken to the Anti-Socialist and Non-Socialist Joint Command Headquarters expressed their anger by shouting, “Who reported me?” and this created a tense atmosphere among neighbors instead of one of mutual trust and confidence.
The source said, “Residents are expressing strong dissatisfaction and anger, saying, ‘Business is not going well, economic difficulties are getting worse, and if we just sit still, our entire families will starve to death, and there is no escape, so why would we do things the government tells us not to do?'”
Meanwhile, even as the crackdown is underway, residents with connections to powerful officials are relying on their power to escape the crackdown, and the Mobile Task Force, which is in charge of the crackdown, is accepting bribes from some residents and turning a blind eye to problematic behavior, and corruption and unfairness are rampant, causing residents to express even more discomfort, the source reported.
Source: www.dailynk.com
