North Korea banning train travel until February, report says

SEOUL, Dec. 5 (UPI) — North Korea is banning train travel due to a “railroad crisis” in the aftermath of heavy floods that destroyed parts of the country’s northeast in late August and early September.

A source in Yanggang Province told Radio Free Asia some members of North Korea’s agricultural workers’ alliance were momentarily suspended from boarding a train on their way to their eighth meeting.

“Until the internal electric power situation improves, ordinary travelers are banned from boarding trains until February,” the source said.

The report doesn’t say the eighth meeting of what, but it’s likely not the North Korean Scotch and Cigar club. Either way peasants honored comrades are banned from riding on trains. Which is probably what most peasants honored comrades use to get around. Cars are reserved for the masters highly honored comrades who are in charge of flood repair.

The source also said railroad authorities have mobilized volunteers to “recover and repair all trains” in the aftermath of the flood.

Why do I think that “mobilized volunteers” means that the army or someone with guns pointed their guns and said something like, “Get on the truck, you just volunteered to fix some damaged trains and track.”?

North Korea has yet to report difficulties in transportation.

Why would they? After all the masters highly honored comrades aren’t have major problems getting around. THEY get to ride the trains if they can’t be driven in their cars.

North Korea’s response to the infrastructure issues, including a power shortage, has been to blame other countries.

The Rodong on Monday said “imperialists” are to blame for “power shutdowns” at factories and enterprises.

“They hope to drown our streets and villages in the dark,” Pyongyang said in statement.

I don’t think the imperialists have to do this, the North Korean government seems to have a pretty good handle on that.

I have no doubt that the executions will continue until rail service improves.

Just remember, Socialists and Communists love trains and other forms of public transit because it’s easy to control and easy to immobilized vast portions of the populace who can’t have cars. Besides, it’s very convenient for moving undesirable populations to new quarters.

No matter how bad your lot in life is, just remember it would be worse in North Korea.