The North Korean authorities are mobilizing members of the Chosun Union of Democratic Women to improve the appearance of Hyesan, a major city in Yangkang Province and the nearest hub to Samjiyeon, the official hometown of Kim Jong Il, Daily NK has learned. For this purpose, members of the Union are being exempted from agricultural labor; however, having done the improvement work for a spell, many of the women no longer view this exemption positively.
A source from Yangkang Province told Daily NK on July 7th, “Since the beginning of spring, members of the Union have been excluded from farm labor in order to work on the city. Party cadres told them that ‘you’ve been exempted from farming and been allowed to manage the city by the good grace of the Marshal (Kim Jong Eun).’”
However, according to the source, the work of improving Hyesan involves industrial activities such as demolishing old homes, repairing existing buildings, tending to roads, and planting trees and grass. Because much of the work depends on manpower alone, progress is slow and dissatisfaction at the manual labor is growing.
“Workers must go into the mountains to find trees, which is not easy, and sometimes they have to go back for more if the ones they bring down do not meet the appropriate standard. They also have to carry the wreckage of old buildings on their backs in the scorching sun,” the source said. “For women it is tortuous work.”
“All the buildings next to roads have to be painted the same color. Kindergartens and day care centers have to be done in varied colors,” she went on. “One-story homes have to be painted white on the chimneys, and the window frames should all be the same color. It’s a real mountain of work to get done.”
“Union cadres have been going on about how the Marshall distributed 20 days of rations on the 15th of last month, and ‘since repayment of his love is the duty of a citizen we should loyally repay it,’” the source also said. However, she added that local people are unimpressed, and suggest in private that such consideration is merely a way to tie the population into unpaid labor.
“At first people liked being exempted from farm work, but now a fair few feel that farm labor would be preferable to this,’” she added.
“Cadres are keen to emphasize that ‘there must not be even the most trivial flaw in this work because it is to manage the hometown of the General (Kim Jong Il).’ Because this work began on the orders of the Marshal, the smart ones know that they need to avoid making any mistakes this time around.”
