Dear Leader needs your money

News related to North Korea is most about its nuclear program and the disputes with its southern neighbor. But this week, the totalitarian government started to issue new currency. I didn't know North Korea has a currency since there are so few to sell.

The policy is draconian. It not only devalued the currency, won, one hundredfold, it also restricted the amount of money allowed to be held by a family to somewhere under 100 dollars. This is outrageous. The government, again, showed its determination to exploit and enslave its citizens.

The implication is tremendous. The economy has already dismal enough, and the government is still squandering budget on military. Like the other East Asians, North Koreans also have the habit of saving. This policy has rendered their lifelong savings useless. No wonder there has been reports of demonstrations in this most oppressive country.

The real target is reported to be the black market. We all know when a government-led economy is failing, black market helps sustain people's daily lives. Smart dictators would recognize this fact and ignore it, but Kim Jung-Il probably thinks he is much smarter than them. This policy is likely to backfire.

A Chinese saying goes, "Nobody wants to rebel, but they have to when the government leaves them no choice." North Korea is on the right direction.