Much like what dairy milk is to Indians, choco pie is to koreans. It is a sandwich made out of two disc-shaped chocolate covered cakes, that sandwich in between them a rubbery layer of marshmallow cream. They are simply scrumptious and delicious and cost less than 50 cents. They are totally justified being South Korea's national treasure.
But on the other side of the Korean border this snack is viewed as something that is really exotic and is highly prized. North Korean leaders embarrassed by the growing popularity of Choco Pie, banned this treat as a symbol of capitalism.
No kidding but according to some analysts this snack sells in North Korea's black markets for as much as 10 american dollars. The high price in North Korea of the Choco Pie, that is something considered so widespread and mundane in South Korea, is actually quite sad and a bit tragic.
This story starts when for the very first time a South Korean factory owner watched his North Korean employees gorge on Choco Pies. he stated that the food item seemed to leave an impression on his staff.
The factory owner’s factory was located at the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Which is one of the key symbols of cooperation between North and South Korea, and the path through which Choco Pies trickled into North Korea. Kaesong is considered to be an important source of hard currency for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's regime.
It is located just a few kilometers from the north of the Demilitarized Zone, which divides the two Koreas from each other. It is one the only places where North and South Koreans come in contact with each other.
Chocopie is provided to these workers as snacks so that they have the energy to keep working in par with the tedious working schedule. But some of the South Korean managers noticed a lack of Choco Pie wrappers at the factory.
It finally struck them that maybe the North Korean factory workers are smuggling these treats back home to their country, maybe for their children, who have lost their childhood for no fault of theirs but due to their country's struggle.
The question that now arises is that, “How did this coveted snack find its way into North Korea's black market?”Millions of choco pies used to sell on North Korea's black market each month, before they were banned in 2014.
Shortly after this ban, South Korean activists and North Korean defectors launched balloons filled with Choco Pies at North Korea this week after the popular chocolate treat reportedly became the target of a government crackdown.
Some South Korean activists even went ahead and floated around 10,000 Choco Pies over the border. In 2010, nearly 2.5 million Choco Pies were being sold on the black market each month, according to one of South Korea's unnamed researchers.
It is quite interesting to note how such a simple item ended up depicting one country’s ( South Korea ) prosperity and progress. Under Kim Jong Un's rule, observers have stated that there has been a loosening of economic constraints, so as to allow informal markets to become a lot more common. And he also must deliver economic gains for ordinary people, to ensure the longevity of his dynastic regime.
These kinds of markets might provide an opportunity for a Choco Pie trader. But with Kim Jong Un, one can't really be certain so we all are in for a long run. Under Kim Jong Un’s late father, Kim Jong-il, the flagship policy for North Korea highlighted the belief that the military comes first.
In his era, North Korea justified keeping the population under conditions of extreme hardship, even at times of extreme starvation. But under his son's leadership a Dual Policy was implemented that gave equal weightage to economics and development of nuclear weapons.
From this episode we learn that what may be a common human experience for some people might be a completely new and undiscovered feeling for someone else. It is kind of emotional that this snack links these two countries together who have drifted apart due to never ending conflicts.
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