Daily NK has received reports that residents affected by the
flood damage in North Hamgyong Province have been forced to make floral
tributes at the statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in celebration of the
Foundation Day of the Workers’ Party. However, discontent is growing as no
special provisions were distributed for the event.
On October 10, a source in North Hamgyong Province reported
to Daily NK that the authorities aggressively “enforced loyalty” from residents
by ordering them to contribute flowers, even if their property was severely
damaged by flood, telling them that “sincere loyalty for the Party manifests in
difficult times.” Residents who lost everything they had during the flood were
given no choice but to make paper flowers for the floral tribute ceremony,
being unable to procure actual flowers.
“On last year’s Party Foundation Day, there was a
degree of holiday spirit and some holiday provisions were distributed, but not
even a single piece of candy was given this year,” the source continued.
“Television broadcasting and newspapers are blaring out propaganda for the
71st celebration of the Party Foundation as if it were a great achievement, but
ordinary people are struggling to survive.”
In North Korea, Party Foundation Day is an official national
holiday. Citizens are actively encouraged to participate in events like public
dancing and lectures to celebrate the anniversary of the foundation of the
Workers’ Party, the power base for the supreme leader. But for this year’s
celebration, no special events were held except for floral tribute ceremonies,
with a focus on housing restorations after the flood.
“Residents who have not been given a single day’s rest
from the flood recovery work were looking forward to Foundation Day, thinking
they would get a break,” said an additional source in North Hamgyong Province.
“But mobilization orders were issued to return to the reconstruction sites
immediately, leading to complaints about working on a national holiday.”
“[The authorities] are well aware that giving out
presents and holiday breaks are effective measures for inducing loyalty, but
the fact that they haven’t done so seems to indicate they can’t afford it,” he surmised. “The regime seems to have squandered massive funds on the
nuclear tests, leaving them without enough to secure gifts for the entire
population, so it seems to have settled on the idea that restoring houses will
be a gift for the people suffering from flood damage.”
A separate source in Ryanggang Province reported that
only a floral tribute ceremony was held in that region as well.
“Ever since the statues of Taewonsu (Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il) were
erected last year, the flower tribute became a standard for loyalty, so almost
all the citizens leave flowers at the statues,” the source said.
“Even though there were no extra requirements, the floral tribute itself
can be burdensome to those mobilized at the collective farms who need to
harvest their individual plots.”
He added, “The citizens are saying that the amount of money a
North Korean family spends on flowers for regime statues is sufficient to buy 5
kg of rice,’ and that they have no choice but to buy them due to the prying
eyes of the authorities. There is growing dissatisfaction among the
residents.”
Daily NK has yet to receive confirmation on whether a
national ceremony for Party Foundation Day was held in North Korea. But sources
there have speculated that a “loyalty gathering” or “celebration ball” would
have been held at least in Pyongyang.
