＜Photo Report on N.Korea＞ Experiencing the Lives of Ordinary People, “Sobicha“ (service car)

2016.11.24

The ‘Sobicha’ is packed like sardines. A young woman seated next to the reporter was clearly also suffering. Taken by Paek Hyang in Yanggang Province, on October 2013 (ASIAPRESS)

2016/Nov/24

ASIAPRESS reporting partners in North Korea said that the operation the railway has worsened since November. The cause may be the flagging power supply.

“Trains are empty because no one knows when they will arrive at the destination. “People generally use a ‘Sobicha’ (service car),” said reporting partners at Chungjin City and Hoeryong City, in North Hamkyung Province.

‘Sobicha’ is a private vehicle, such as a bus or a truck, charging passengers cash for a ride. It carries passengers to the destination on time, although is much more expensive than the state-run railway.
Related Article: [Video Report] National bus network of the North Korean market economy

It became a major system of passenger transportation in North Korea, replacing the backward, state-run system. The operation is solely based on profit seeking. The name ‘Sobi’ is said originate from the English word, ‘Service.’

The photo is a still shot from the video taken by Paek Hyang, a reporting partner of ASIAPRESS, when she was in a ‘Sobicha.’