GOVERNMENT CLAIMS INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS; SOVIET CITIZENS BUY GOLD, SILVER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320989-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 18, 2011
• Sequence Number: 989
• Publication Date: July 17, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320989-9
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CLASSIFICATION CON FIDENTIA -C* 15Jr' 9 i ~r
:CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
COUNTRY North Korea
SUBJECT Economic
HOW
PUBLISHED Daily newspaper
WHERE
PUBLISHED Seoul
DATE
PUBLISHED 21 Mar - 10 May 1950
LANGUAGE Korean
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS IIFO1MATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATEN WITHIN THE N[ANINI OF ESPIONAGE ACT 90
U. S. C.. 11 AND -E, AS A-ENDED. III TN001MISIION ON TNN NIG[1ATIDN
01 ITS C:NT[NT-IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON 18 FNO?
HIGITEO T LAW. REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1950
DATE DIST. \1 Jul 1950
NO. OF PAGES 2
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
GOVERNMENT CLAIMS INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS;
SOVIET CITIZENS BUY GOLD, SILVER
UNEMPLOYED WORKERS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT -- Sopuk Sinmun, 15 Apr 50
The cabinet of the People's Republic of North Korea has announced an in-
crease of 85.9 percent in the industrial production for 1948 over that of
1947, and 73.6 percent for 1949 over 1948. These tremendous production in-
creases have been attributed mainly to the 100-percent employment in North
Korea.
A cabinet announcement in March 1950 stated that unemployed workers, or
those who are engaged in the work not authorized by the government, will be
subject to 2 years' imprisonment.
COMMUNISTS BUY PRECIOUS METALS -- Sopuk Sinmun, 10 May 50
The Ch'uim iedaa 8187, 4803,7 Trading Company of North Korea was estab-
lished under the order of the Soviet Embassy in Pyongyang, to collect gold and
silver in North Korea. This company now virtually monopolizes the gold and sil-
ver in North Korea and ships the precious metals to the USSR in large quantities.
The USSR, which has been restricting outflow of gold and silver from Soviet
territory, has been busy collecting gold and silver in the Far East. No trans-
actions in Soviet currencies, either in the open or in the black market, can be
found in North Korea. The gold and silver are purchased with the inconvertible
money issued by the North Korean government.
Soviet citizens in North Korea, both military and civilian, have been en-
couraged by their government to obtain all the gold and silver that they can.
When these people return to their homeland, and MVD immediately seizes it.
STATE
ARMY
4
CLASSIFICATION
i . 9U. M.
- 1 -
CONFIDENTIAL
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320989-9
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320989-9
CONFIDENTIAL~'
To prevent the flow of precious metals into Soviet hands, it has become the
general practice among non-Communist merchants in North Korea to use watchwords
in their transactions; "kong" designates the Communists, and "paek" represents
the anti-Communists, including the South Koreans. The merchants sell gold only
to the latter group.
CATTLE SLAUGHTERING HAMPERS AGRICULTURE -- Sopuk Sinmun, 10 May 50
The scarcity of draft animals, as a result of the wholesale slaughtering of
cattle in North Korea to supply meat in Siberia, has been seriously hampering
farm operations in North Korea. The scarcity has been felt even in the regions
centering around Pyongyang, and Hwangju which have long been known for the pro-
duction of fine cattle.
FARMERS ABANDON FARMS -- Sopuk Sinmun, 10 May 50
The People's Republic has been exercising drastic measures to meet the
critical'food shortage that has been felt in North Korea since January 1950.
However, the shortage of seeds has been making it almost impossible for the
farmers to fulfill the spring sowing quotas imposed upon them by the govern-
ment. The situation is particularly grave among the Hwachon-min, the settlers
who clear fire-fields for agriculture. These primitive farmers usually have
meager farm stocks.
Many farmers have been abandoning the farms, only to be imprisoned as re-
actionaries.
70 PERCENT OF ELECTRIC POWER EXPORTED -- Kukto Sinmun, 21 Mar 50
An unofficial source reports that over 70 percent of the electric power
generated by the North Korean power plants along the. Yalu River has been sup-
plied to Manchuria and Dairen area.
CONFIDENTIAL
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/08/18: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320989-9