Mobilized women are weeding a field at farm village. They are mobilized for rice planting, weeding and harvesting from spring to autumn every year. Taken on June 2013 by Team Mindulle (ASIA PRESS)
It is reported that the authorities make platoons to compete each other for productivity enhancement and impose additional work for the defeated. The productivity rose and the farm was satisfied with the result. There are signs of broadening mobilized labor to farm village in North Hamkyung Province being encouraged by that system.
The reporting partner reported that the mobilized unemployed were handed over to their previous workplace for permanent control after 2-3 months of labor.
Related article: People are exploited in mobilized labor (2) Recorded women’s complaining voices; “This is all free labor,” “Everything is taken by the high ranks”
On the other hand, there are concerns about the mobilized people.
The reporting partner reported that he was told: “Too much hard labor brought the work force into exhaustion. There are so many burglars in the work area, so the residents feel fear at night even though they like hard working by the labor force during the day time.”
Crack down on the unemployed is reinforced to supply more labor force to farm village as demands increase.
The reporting partner reported the local situation: “The unemployed, saying ‘it is better to die rather than to go there,’ try to bribe the officials to avoid arrest or hasten process to enter a workplace as soon as possible.”
* Asia Press uses Chinese phone to contact internal cooperator in North Korea.
* Editor’s notes on North Korean reporters
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