A new, highly addictive drug known as “amidon” is spreading rapidly throughout North Korea. The number of traders involved in producing and supplying amidon is on the rise, and many ordinary citizens are now hooked, a source has revealed.





“It’s popular now to inject amidon. It has been in circulation before, but over the last few years the number of users has skyrocketed. This is partly due to the 90% purity of the drug.” the trader from Hamhung, South Hamkyung Province explained.





“This drug is addictive to the point that people are dumping all their household goods at the market and selling them off cheaply so they can get their hands on more. Many are now warning others, ‘Whatever you do, don’t touch Amidon.’”

The source believes the number of addicts is only increasing, and for some, “death is the only way to quit.”





“It’s produced mostly in Hamhung, South Hamkyung Province. Middle men and drug peddlers are responsible for the spread of amidon nationwide. Traders in other regions are now producing and distributing it, which is also impacting user numbers,” the source went on.





Primary consumers of the drug are alleged to be boat workers, physical laborers and long-distance drivers.





Furthermore, “The number of female users is also on the rise. They use it to relieve fatigue from working in the markets and undergoing forced labor. It’s also secretly given as a gift on holidays, like the Lunar New Year.”





The authorities are doing little in the way to halt its spread, the source claimed, as drugs are widely considered in the North to be a form of therapeutic treatment.





Moreover, “Even if the traders who produce it are caught by the authorities, they can just free themselves by paying a bribe. This is facilitating the spread of amidon throughout the North.”