class="apple-converted-space"> The
Imperial Japanese Army 19th Infantry Division was headquartered in Nanan, where
the Japanese built a planned city based on a reteculanguar street grid.During
the
North Korean famine
of the 1990s, Chongjin was one of the
worst affected locations in the country; death rates may have been as high as
20 percent.
Conditions there
remain poor in terms of food availability.
This
problem has caused several instances of civil unrest in Chongjin, a rarity in
North Korea. On March 4, 2008, a crowd of women merchants protested in response
to tightened market controls.
Rising
grain prices and government attempts to prohibit "peddling in the
market" have been cited as causes for the protests.
As a result of the protest, the
Chongjin local government "posted a proclamation allowing peddling in the
market."
On August 24, 2008,
a clash occurred between foot patrol agents and female merchants, which
escalated into a "massive protest rally". It was reported that the
Chongjin local government issued verbal instructions relaxing the enforcement
activity until the time of the next grain ration.