North Korea has launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal alcohol production, threatening the livelihoods of many who depend on bootlegging.
According to multiple sources inside North Korea, police began raiding homes suspected of moonshine production in early December. A source in South Hamgyong province told Daily NK on Dec. 13 that “Provincial police are conducting house raids, confiscating moonshine-making materials and bringing suspects in for questioning.”
Those caught producing or distributing bootleg alcohol face potential imprisonment in labor camps. In South Hamgyong province, authorities warned residents about the crackdown through neighborhood watch units in late November. When moonshine production continued despite these warnings, police began conducting random home raids.
On Dec. 6, Pukchong county police arrested two bootleggers and seized 20 kilograms of alcohol from their workshop. The suspects were questioned for five hours before release.
Three days later, four people in Hongwon county were arrested for producing and selling moonshine. Police confiscated over 10 kilograms of alcohol from each person. They were released after signing pledges to cease alcohol production and sales.
The crackdown has been particularly intense in mining regions like Kaechon and Tokchon, where coal—a key ingredient in alcohol production—is readily available. “Because of the crackdown, moonshine production and sales have completely stopped for now,” a source in South Pyongan province reported.
While North Korean authorities consider private alcohol production “non-socialist behavior” and wasteful of grains like rice and corn, bootlegging has become a crucial source of income for many citizens. Home-brewed alcohol is popular among North Koreans due to its lower cost compared to factory-produced drinks.
Bootleggers now face a dual threat: intensified police enforcement and rising grain prices in local markets.
One bootlegger expressed desperation: “Making and selling alcohol is barely keeping us alive. Telling us to stop is like telling us to die. This is our only way to make money, and now they’re threatening us with labor camps. The situation is so hopeless I can hardly breathe.”
