Strange North Korean legislation sparks sudden automobile washing increase as individuals money in
Dirty cars now earn fines in North Korea— and it’s sparked a car-wash gold rush, with hustling ‘donju’ cashing in as motorists scramble to scrub before city entry
North Korea is experiencing an unexpected business boom as a law change created a thriving marketplace for people to get their cars washed.
North Korea’s laws mean that cars deemed ‘filthy’ are no longer allowed to enter major cities such as Pyongyang, and if they do, they are fined. These controversial fines began in 2015 and were priced at £10. And there is no excuse. Even travellers of long journeys are expected to have cleaned their cars prior to their entry into the cities.
The Donju (money masters/people with a lot of money) have begun heavily investing in car washing, with one person saying: “Some donju in Hamhung have recently been investing in car washes. Many are opening because more cars are on the road and dirty vehicles aren’t allowed in the city”
If you are caught with a dirty car you are subjected to mountains of paperwork, including all things from:
- Written statements
- Fines up to hundreds of thousands of won
- Declarations
Nonetheless, the number of vehicles continues to rise in North Korea and yet, convenient cleaning spaces are scarce. Enterprising individuals have opted to fill this market gap by opening informal places to facilitate cleaning and hiring day labourers to wash cars on purchased plots.
Because of this, the car wash business is booming.
A prime example of this is Hamhung, where traffic is increasingly prominent. A car wash will set you back anything from around £2 to £6. Many of these businesses operate smartly on the outskirts of these cities, mainly in order to avoid the authorities’ prying eyes, as running a for-profit business without state permission can be punished as “non-socialist activity”, but also due to strict water waste rules in major cities.
Out of this market, however, has grown an ingenious source of income for some of North Korea’s most vulnerable people.
According to a source: “Donju in the car wash business pay workers between 7 and 10 Chinese yuan (roughly 75p to £1.06) per day, regardless of how many vehicles they wash. That’s enough to buy over a kilogram of rice so people with tight finances want these jobs”
“While some days bring no customers, there are typically two vehicles a day. That gives owners a steady income and helps workers support themselves,” the source said.
Last year, the state legalised vehicle ownership, and North Korea has imported more vehicles through state-condoned smuggling, meaning there are more cars than ever before. It also means the donju capitalise on the opportunity with day labourers also taking something home. Unfortunately for the state, however, unofficial automotive businesses are now booming.
Now, some fear that the state will start making examples of these businesses.
“Since the car wash industry is currently expanding, police may crack down with unannounced raids. We’ll have to see how long these operations can keep turning a profit,” the source said.
