A North Korean female worker dispatched to
China has been forcibly repatriated after receiving an emergency operation for
appendicitis, according to a source close to the matter in China.
“A woman in her 20s working at a company in
Shenyang, China suddenly got appendicitis and had to receive surgery at a
hospital,” she told the Daily NK on Monday. “The repatriation is because she
received treatment at a hospital that was not approved by the State Security
Department [SSD], and may have come in contact with the ‘outside world,’ which
goes against the rules.”
Female workers in their 20s sent to areas
like Shenyang and Dandong in China to procure foreign currency for the North
are strictly forbidden from venturing outside of their workplaces or dorms
without permission from the SSD. Even when granted approval, they go out exclusively in groups of three.
This measure aims to preclude the chances
of contact with South Korean or American missionaries– who often proselytize
in the region and sometimes aid in defections–while outside of their
designated work location.
The source explained that women are granted
the opportunity to go out once every other week in their approved groups. All
other routine activities are also conducted in the presence of the same group
to foster an inter-worker monitoring system. If workers engage in individual
activities for more than 30 minutes, a “self-criticism” session is the only way
to avert penalization.
“The SSD likely brought the patient back for
interrogation as she may have been exposed to ‘outside forces’ [such as
missionaries] while receiving treatment at a hospital unregistered with the
North’s security bodies,” the source asserted, noting that contact with
Christianity is considered a political crime, as is meeting a South Korean.
Those exposed to such elements are punished
accordingly, explaining the extreme precautionary measures carried out by the
SSD. Unsurprisingly, workers are strictly prohibited from possessing mobile phones, the source
said.
She went on to explain that the female worker had little to no control on how the situation unfolded. “The woman suddenly experienced stomach
pain, and the Chinese owner [of her workplace] called an ambulance to get her
to a hospital to prevent the situation from becoming worse,” she said. “After receiving surgery,
the worker was able to stay at the hospital thanks to the company owner who
paid for the medical costs.”
“SSD officials, discovering this several
days later, went to the hospital to check the woman’s medical records and
berated the owner for not reporting the incident ahead of time,” the source
explained. The owner reportedly engaged in a heated argument with the
officials, during which he responded, “How am I supposed to think about rules
when a person is on the verge of dying?”
In response, the officials stated, “Even if
they die, they should not be given access to people outside, so send her back
home so that she can die in her homeland,” according the source, who went on to
explain that after the patient’s release, she was repatriated against her will.
“It appears the goal is to make an example
out of her and pressure workers so they understand what happens to them when
they come in contact with ‘outside forces.’” the source said of the female sent
back to North Korea. “This poor worker who has been repatriated is going to
face interrogation by the SSD–its agents questioning her on anything and
everything related to who she met during her hospitalization.”
Despite tight control on the young female workers, the source maintained that
many still come in contact with information on South Korea and demonstrate
envious sentiments toward defectors who make it there.
