[imText1]Preparing seedbeds for rice and corn and planting rice proceeds from the spring. In particular, everybody brings a lunch box and has to do “support farming” in the farming areas that were assigned to them on Sunday.
If needs be, Pyongyang citizens take trains to rural areas in South Pyongan at dawn in order to work there for a long day and are back at night. Housewives are generally mobilized in support farming two days a week. Although they help the farmers, their efforts are not rewarded with even a drop of water. It is not because of the cold hearts of the people in the agricultural areas but because of the poor standard of living of the farming families.
Replanting seedlings of corn raised on seedbeds is work for the students in elementary school and the first to third grade students in middle school. Thus, the beds of corn are often called “student seedbeds.”
In the summer, farm supporting activity lets up a little, so students, laborers and office workers just go there only on Sundays. Their summer work is removing weeds in the rice paddies and fields.
[imText2]At this time, middle school students have to remove weeds from the corn and potato fields, and elementary students are mobilized for catching vermin due to the lack of agrochemicals.
Harvest is also the nation’s intensive combat conducted across the country. At this time, soldiers, students, laborers and others are all rushing into “combat.” Elementary students and first to third grades students are mobilized for gleaning.
Farm supporting combat is a nightmare for everyone
From where the Chosun (North Korea) people stand, “Farm supporting activity” is just ordinary activity which is proceeding on the nation scale and the whole society every year. It’s because they don’t have any allocated amount of work’s result. For Chosun people who have already been trained by hard work, this farm supporting activity is not such a tough thing. Even though they have to go out to farms at dawn, it is not so big a burden for them. For some high officers in some factories, this activity is sometimes a kind of time for loafing around. Not everybody feels some reason to complain.
Nevertheless, the reason why the words, “farm supporting,” puts people’s nerves on edge is that it reminds them of the terrible experience of “farm supporting combat.” Chosun people, from fourth to sixth grade students of middle schools and university’s students, have all had some harsh experience doing “farm supporting combat.”
Some citizens might not end up serving in the army, but there are individuals who have not served in a farm supporting combat unit.
The nightmare of “the farm supporting combat” starts in elementary school. (continues)
