{"id":4672,"date":"2020-08-06T21:10:44","date_gmt":"2020-08-06T12:10:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4672"},"modified":"2022-01-24T15:27:37","modified_gmt":"2022-01-24T06:27:37","slug":"fortune-tellers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2020\/08\/society-economy\/fortune-tellers\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside North Korea\uff1e \u201cThe 7 Year-Old Sent From God\u201d: Why Fortune-tellers are Thriving Despite Regime Crackdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_4673\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4673\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/d86bd00b1c4854460e3755c341485a18.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" class=\"size-full wp-image-4673\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/d86bd00b1c4854460e3755c341485a18.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/d86bd00b1c4854460e3755c341485a18-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4673\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo) In North Korea, fortune-tellers are subject to criminal punishment. This is because worship of anything other than the Kim clan is strictly prohibited. This photograph, taken in summer 2013, shows a political ideology rally held near a provincial city (ASIAPRESS)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>According to a reporting partner from Ryanggang Province, fortune-telling is becoming increasingly popular in North Korea, where economic difficulties are becoming ever more serious due to the effect of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n<p>In North Korea, fortune-telling, in addition to all religious activity, is considered to be a \u2018superstition\u2019 and is against the law. According to Article 256 of the Criminal Code (revised in 2015), those who receive money or valuables in exchange for engaging in \u2018superstitious behavior\u2019 can be sentenced to forced labor for up to 1 year. In serious cases, offenders can even face 3-7 years in prison.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, with intensified crackdowns, \u2018public denouncement rallies\u2019 have been held across the country, with hundreds of residents being mobilized to watch offenders be condemned for their crimes. Despite the dangers, fortune-tellers are thriving in the current atmosphere of anxiety. This phenomenon is explained by the reporting partner in the conversation below:<br \/>\n<strong>NextPage: The role of fortune-tellers\u2026<\/strong><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>\u25c6 The role of fortune-tellers<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q: With such a strong crackdown, why is fortune-telling so popular?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> Recently, I have not been able to conduct business due to the coronavirus, making life very difficult. I don\u2019t know what will happen in the future. So I think people are depending on fortune-telling more than ever before. Even I consult with a fortune-teller over the phone before I go out to do business. And, actually, the predictions are often correct. There are lots of new fortune-tellers these days. There is even a 7 year-old fortune-teller who they say has been sent down by God.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q: How much does it cost?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> Over the phone, it costs about 2-5 RMB and, in-person, it costs about 5-10 yuan. Recently, with the strict crackdown, it is more common to call over the phone.<\/p>\n<p>\u203b 1 RMB is equivalent to about 171 won. Because the North Korean won has no credibility, the RMB and the US dollar are widely used.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q: What do people ask the fortune-tellers?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> Everything, I guess. If someone has their mobile phone taken away by authorities, they consult a fortune-teller to see how much it will cost to get back. They ask fortune-tellers how to recover their health. As medicine is so expensive these days, they ask fortune-tellers how to treat themselves. They ask the fortune-teller first before lending money and if they have an important meeting coming up, they ask the fortune-teller first when would be a good time to set the meeting. Officials also ask when they will be transferred, promoted, etc.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q: Do officials also go to get their fortunes told?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> The officials have a lot of money so they often pay to have their fortunes told. An official\u2019s wife will go to ask about their husband\u2019s career or to ask about an illness. Because the crackdown is severe, some fortune-tellers don\u2019t leave their homes for 10-20 days at a time and just write horoscopes from there. The best fortune-tellers are even able to secure introductions to meet officials secretly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q: Are there any fortune-tellers who have been caught and taken to \u2018public denouncement rallies\u2019?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>A:<\/strong> Those are usually the fortune-tellers who make a lot of wrong predictions and therefore do not receive the protection of officials. The good fortune-tellers are paid by officials and therefore do not get caught. (Kang Ji-won)<\/p>\n<p>\u203b ASIAPRESS contacts its reporting partners in North Korea through smuggled Chinese mobile phones.<\/p>\n<div class=\"editer_diver_kiji\">\n<div class=\"editer_diver_kiji_title\">\uff1cRelated Article\uff1e<\/div>\n<ul class=\"diver_rel_kiji\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2020\/08\/recommendations\/corona-covid-19\/\" title=\"North Korea\u2019s Second Wave? (1) Internal Documents Suggest Rising COVID-19 Cases (2020-08-04 12:01:08)\">North Korea\u2019s Second Wave? 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