The hopes of North Korean workers are rising on the news that the Kaesong Industrial Complex is edging closer to being restarted. However, the prolonged closure of the inter-Korean manufacturing zone has also led to fears that the closure could be repeated at a later date.
A source from Pyongyang reported to Daily NK on the 10th, “The authorities have been notifying the people that used to work in Kaesong that ‘you’ll be working again soon, so prepare.’ South and North are discussing the reopening now, but Party cadres are already saying that it will reopen very soon.”
“Workers from regional areas were sent to their homes when the Complex was closed,” the source recalled. “Now, those people feel like they’ll be able to live again. In a situation where people cannot expect to get state distribution over extended periods of time, the workers are looking forward to the income they’ll get for working there.”
However, the source added that while people are happy to hear news of the reopening, the closure has already engendered a general distrust. “People are saying that they cannot trust the authorities when they go back and forth in this way,” he reported. “They are also waiting to see whether it really gets restarted or not.”
As the Kaesong Industrial Complex expanded over the years prior to the recent shutdown, workers started to be brought into the region from as far afield as Pyongyang to meet the rising demand for labor. News of the stable income, good working conditions and other benefits (e.g. snacks during work time, and payments in kind) on offer spread nationwide, coming to be known to people in Wonsan to the east, and the far northern provinces.
Given the desirability of work in the Kaesong Complex, it is unsurprising that the anticipated restart isn’t being allowed to pass without rents being paid to those with “gatekeeper” status. The source explained, “At the same time as they’re telling workers about the restart, they are also telling them to show their gratitude at being given the chance again. They’re blatantly attempting to get payments out of people.”
“Since most people paid to get their places in the Complex in the first place, they’re pretty annoyed at being asked to pay again,” he added.
The authorities are also warning those workers who will go back to work in the Kaesong Industrial Complex about how to behave while working. The closure has been labeled the fault of the South, while the restart is described as a result of the merciful nature of “The Marshal,” meaning Kim Jong Eun.
