The new uniform designs unveiled by North Korea last month for expected distribution before the new academic year in April. Image: Tongil Sinbo

A Chosun Central News Agency [KCNA] report on April 2nd claiming that new uniforms were distributed to every elementary school across North Korea has turned out to be false, Daily NK has learned. 

��Uniforms were distributed to first graders in some elementary schools, but there are exceedingly more cases of those who received nothing,�� a source in South Pyongan Province reported to Daily NK on April 2nd. ��In some cases, not even a single student within an entire school received a uniform; in others, samples were provided to only the children of Party cadres.�� 

Textile factories in major cities, such as Pyongyang and Sinuiju, were under orders from the authorities to produce the new uniforms by March 26th for an expected distribution date of April 1st. Output, however, was dismal and came nowhere near the unrealistic target mandated by the state. 

She described the state��s goal to dole out new uniforms to all these students in such a short period of time as ��hare-brained,�� adding that despite the extra pressure enterprises are under to ��at least churn out the uniforms by the ��Day of the Sun [Kim Il Sung��s birthday, April 15th] no one really knows if it will happen.�� 

Residents, long accustomed to buying reproduction uniforms at the market or seeking tailors for custom-made versions, remain largely apathetic toward this particular failure by the state. She explained that aside from the poorest of families, state-issued uniforms are only worn in April. This is because residents must keep up appearances for major events related to the start of the academic year [April 1st] and the "Day of the Sun." 

While customized uniforms are generally the same color and design as the state-issued varieties, trained and watchful eyes can distinguish between the two, mostly due to small touches designed to make them more fashionable--a shortened hem or narrow pant legs, for example. Moreover, uniforms made from materials imported from China tend to be richer and more vibrant, despite the muted tones. Outside of these major events, however, authorities have accepted that attempting to crack down on customized uniforms is futile due to the sheer number of people wearing them. 

��As soon as rumors began circulating that the state would produce new uniforms, the tailors with the keenest business sense sprang to action, importing swathes of fabric from China ahead of the directive,�� she said. ��Although the independently manufactured uniforms are cut from the same state prototype, the uniforms made from Chinese fabrics are of overwhelmingly better quality and, naturally, more popular.��

*The contents of this article were broadcast to the North Korean people via Unification Media Group.