A range of events take place across North Korea every year to celebrate the April 15th anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s birth, otherwise known
as “Day of the Sun.” One of the most highly anticipated of these has long been the distribution of special holiday rations of food.
These special rations have for many years been distributed on the birthdays
of both Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, as well as at Korean [Chinese] New Year and over the Chuseok [Thanksgiving] period. However, a raft of defector testimony clarifies the point that even holiday ration distribution has become less and
less frequent in the last twenty years, which threatens to weaken loyalty to the ruling Chosun Workers’ Party.
In contrast, workers employed by non-state enterprises
receive regular offerings on public holidays, prompting a shift in loyalty from the regime in general to individual employers.
One former state factory technician from North Pyongan
Province told Daily NK, “[The factory] used to give me a bottle of alcohol on public
holidays. My 13-year-old daughter used to work at an individually-run beauty parlor, and she would also receive special holiday rations on top of her wages. These included a kilo of pork,
two of snacks, a kilo of flour and a kilo of granulated sugar. Our entire family enjoyed the holidays
because of my daughter, so it’s only natural that one would express loyalty to that kind of employer.”
A second defector who ran a successful confectionery
enterprise in South Pyongan Province explained, “When employees are given
additional benefits like meals and public holiday rations in addition to their
wages, of course they feel gratitude and affection to their
employer. The stipulations are strict when it comes to ensuring production, but naturally the workers accept it. People have come
to realize that the ‘landlord class’ is not bad per se.”
Continuing, the defector added, “In a sense, when employees are happy their employers are elevated
as a function of their economic privilege. People know that this system is what feeds them, not the state.”
Another former high-ranking defector concurred, saying, “It’s often
said in North Korea that if a Party secretary lacks support then they are doomed to
fail. If unconditional loyalty is
demanded with no change in policy then Kim Jong Eun will be reduced to a mere figurehead.”
Meanwhile, an inside source in Yangkang Province has revealed that this year was not a good one for state holiday distribution. The only employees known to have received rations for April 15th
were those at historical sites and Kim Jong Suk Art Hall in
Hyesan.
“The provincial People’s Committee noted who made an effort
during the performance [of the Moranbong Band] and gave them 500g of snacks and
a bottle of alcohol each. Ordinary
people are unhappy they didn’t get anything for the public holiday,” the
source told Daily NK.
