its employees to refrain from making comments to those around them or to their families about the Malaysia situation.
In addition to North Koreans living abroad, members of the Pyongyang ruling class are reportedly aware of the diplomatic break with Malaysia.
North Koreans with knowledge about the incident have reportedly expressed great disappointment in the authorities for failing to protect a loyal trader who took risks for the Workers’ Party.
A source in North Korea told Daily NK that “[people] are embarrassed that a North Korean citizen was taken to the United States, North Korea’s greatest enemy” and that “[North Koreans] believed that if their country possessed nuclear weapons, they would be able to conduct diplomatic and economic relations in the international community. They are shocked that [international] action and cooperation has continued to be unsuccessful despite their acquisition of nuclear weapons.”
It appears that some believed that the violation of sanctions against North Korea would not result in substantial retaliation because their country has nuclear weapons. However, this incident has confirmed that nuclear weapons can not “protect” North Korean people living abroad.
Another source in the country told Daily NK that “the trader who was taken to the United States [likely] was not bringing luxury goods into [North Korea] for himself,” and that “people think of the ‘Utmost Dignity’ [North Korean leader Kim Jong Un] as the sun and risk their lives getting items into the country. However, if the Party can’t protect them [from arrest], they might not want to continue these dangerous activities.”
In short, the extradition of Mun Chol Myong to the United States on charges of money laundering reportedly has North Korean traders abroad feeling skepticism about the feasibility of taking items into the country amid import sanctions against North Korea. They also appear to feel disappointment toward the North Korean authorities for failing to protect him.
The source in China told Daily NK that “if [the North Korean authorities] aren’t careful, the incident in Malaysia could have a significant impact on the ideological resolve of traders” and that “it appears that this is what the authorities are most worried about.”
So the possession of nuclear weapons turns out not to be the great get-out-of-jail-free card that they'd naively believed. And, to cut through the crap, traders abroad are not going to be too keen to smuggle luxury items for the "Utmost Dignity" if the greedy fat bastard can't even protect them.
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