Opium replaces meth as North Korea’s drug of choice

Decline in methamphetamine supplies from China prompt farmers to grow and sell poppies.
By Son Hyemin for RFA Korea
2024.09.11
Opium replaces meth as North Korea’s drug of choice Cutting poppy heads with knife to harvest opium latex. (Adobe Stock)
Photo: RFA

UPDATED at 7:42 ET on Sept. 12, 2024.

Opium is replacing methamphetamine as the drug of choice in North Korea as the pandemic has disrupted Chinese supplies of the raw materials needed to make meth, residents in the country told Radio Free Asia.

Until a couple years ago, meth – known inside the country by its street name, “ice” – was widespread in North Korea to the point that people were giving it to each other as gifts for Lunar New Year

It is used recreationally as well as for various medicinal purposes in a country where the healthcare system faces a severe lack of resources. It’s illegal, but government officials are known to turn a blind eye because the state cannot provide the people with adequate medicine, sources told RFA.

But meth has become harder to obtain after trade shut down with China due to COVID-19. That’s prompting farmers to grow and sell poppies – used to make opium – on the black market, a resident of South Hamgyong province told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

20240910-OPIUM-NORTH-KOREA-002.jpg
A boy collects raw opium, April 17, 2018. (Mohammad Anwar Danishyar/AP)

Although legitimate trade with China has resumed, smuggling has not yet picked up to the point that steady meth supplies are coming in, a resident of the eastern province of South Hamgyong told RFA Korean on condition of anonymity for security reasons..

Many farmers in that province’s Kowon county try to grow poppies, he said. “In the mountain village where I live, five out of ten households plant opium.”

Some poppy growers grow only enough for their personal use, but most grow it for sale. It’s illegal, but if cultivated in small quantities, the government looks the other way, he said.

“The amount of meth sold on the black market has been decreasing since last year,” he said. “It has become difficult to purchase it this year, which is also the background for the rapid increase in opium cultivation.” 

Cheaper than meth

Opium is also popular because it is cheaper than meth, a resident in the western province of South Pyongan said. 

A gram of meth can fetch 18,000 won (US$1.12) on the black market, whereas the same amount of opium liquid costs only 5,000 won (31 cents), she said.

Opium is said to heal a number of ailments and lift one’s mood,  the first resident said.

“Nowadays, the common rumor is that people who have been feeling resentful and suicidal feel better after taking an opium injection,” he said.

Opium is addictive. Users typically experience a heightened sense of well-being, as well as pain relief. But over time, users need to take the drugs more frequently or at a higher dose to stave off withdrawal symptoms like cravings and sweating.

Users can also experience changes in sleep habits, weight loss, flu-like symptoms and decreased libido.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, methamphetamine is available by prescription under the brand name Desoxyn. It can be used to treat attention deficit disorder and obesity in small doses, but a fact sheet about the drug, issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, warns that Desoxyn has a “high potential for abuse and misuse” and can lead to addiction.

The Center for Addiction and Mental Health describes meth as a “powerful upper,” and it gives users feelings of confidence, alertness, and strength for many hours. It also increases sex drive in the short term. 

But prolonged use can cause brain damage, damage teeth and gums, a loss of appetite,and it can cause users to see or hear things that aren’t there, even when not using.


RELATED STORIES

North Koreans Give Crystal Meth as Lunar New Year Gifts

North Korea arrests soldier guarding Chinese border for meth use

North Koreans Put Out of Work by COVID-19 Resort to Drug Trafficking

Denial Hampers North Korea as it Grapples with Meth Epidemic

Fishy North Korean Drug Runners Smuggle Meth into China Inside Frozen Seafood

Drugs Fuel Work Surge at North Korean Building Site


“In Pyongan province, in July and August, you cut opium flower buds with a knife to obtain the liquid, which is then dried and sold,” the second resident said, adding that the flower stems are also dried and sold.

20240910-OPIUM-NORTH-KOREA-003.jpg
Wraps of heroin with a spoon and syringe on foil. (Adobe Stock)

“There are many farms that grow opium, so you can buy it at any time,” she said. It’s proving very profitable, to the point that people are growing opium flowers instead of edible crops like corn, the South Pyongan resident said.

“It was rare for farmers to plant opium in their gardens for sale, but with the coronavirus lockdown blocking businesses, some farmers have started growing opium to make a living,” she said. “More farmers have followed suit.”

Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.

Updated to add addictive nature of drugs and impact on health over time.

POST A COMMENT

Add your comment by filling out the form below in plain text. Comments are approved by a moderator and can be edited in accordance with RFAs Terms of Use. Comments will not appear in real time. RFA is not responsible for the content of the postings. Please, be respectful of others' point of view and stick to the facts.