It is always interesting how one can justify almost anything one does, regardless of how unethical or dubious it may be. This seems to be the unsavory side of human nature. This also seems to be a leading principle of Juche as practiced by North Korea in its counterfeiting operations. Per one Criminal investigator assigned to track the illegal activities of North Korea:
“It appears that counterfeiting actually contributed to the domestic legitimacy of the North Korean regime,” “It could be justified under the juche ideology and allowed the regime to advertise its anti-capitalist, anti-American credentials.”
All this and a surprising element of quality. The so called “Supernotes” — one hundred dollar bills that were produced by North Korea — actually came to surpass the quality of the real notes that were produced in America. Naturally, all this was occurring the same time such inspiring slogans as “Let’s Eat Two Meals a Day” were making its way around North Korea. Some might starve but others can make money — REALLY. This quote from the NY Times article on North Korean counterfeiting was the kicker for me:
From all accounts, superb quality is a feature of much North Korean contraband: methamphetamine of extraordinarily high purity; counterfeit Viagra rumored to exceed the bona fide product in its potency; supernotes. It’s an impressive product line for a regime that can barely feed its people. When I discussed this with Asher, he let out a sigh. “I always say that if North Korea only produced conventional goods for export to the degree of quality and precision that they produce counterfeit United States currency, they would be a powerhouse like South Korea, not an industrial basket case.”
For more on this interesting story about North Korea counterfeiting, follow the link.
It also appears that China has also frozen some North Korean accounts in the BOC, due to conterfeiting and money laundering.
4 Comments
This is something Koreans on both sides of the border can take pride in. Not only do they make good copies, but they make them better. “Our Franklins, Vitamin V and meth are better than yours: nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah. Juche rocks.”
I remember the eat 2 meals a day movement of North Korea. In the late 1980’s, this was taught in South Korean elementary school books. Interesting the North Koreans never bothered to push propaganda on eating 1 meal a day or eating some meals during a month.
Back in the 1980’s, I never foresaw this would lead to famine and starving to death by the present era. Thank you for writing this and mentioning the 2 meals a day movement.
Watching even tained dramas like Seoul 1945, I could sympathize with Koreans who chose North Korean communism in the early stages. Heck, they probably ate 3 meals a day while the South didn’t. Kim Il Sung and Rhee Syng Man probably were both deeply interested in governing as long as they could. But, life is also about choosing between the lesser of 2 evils.
For all the negatives you could point out about American super powerism and capitalism, you can clearly see now that Rhee Syng Man was the lesser of the 2 evils and clearly the winning ticket towards a better Korea…which is just South Korea at the moment. Some day, the Middle East will also see this. China and Vietnam started seeing this practically 50 years later.
Funny that… And (seemingly) paradoxically, a counterfeit with a conspicuously higher level of quality than the original is actually a poor counterfeit. Heck, it’s almost Zen.
We’re lucky, then, that the Federal Reserve doesn’t print the bills, then. That’s the job of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (part of the Dept. of the Treasury — the Fed is independant).