Projects to erect statues of former North
Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, driven by the third generation Kim
leadership, have added a heavy burden to local residents, who are asked to
supply workers on site with meals and snacks.
“The People’s Committee in Yangkang
Province has ordered people to support technicians and construction workers for
statues being built around the management offices overseeing revolutionary locations. This has led to a rise in complaints,” a source in Yangkang Province reported to Daily NK on
Friday.
Daily NK spoke with another source in the
same province who verified this news.
“Residents who are part of some 100
inminban [people’s unit] from 23 neighborhoods in Hyesan City are visiting the
construction site on designated days with noodles, bread, or dumplings and
other food,” the source said. “They are basically responsible for meals and
snacks for the workers. Those who are harder up pay with vegetables to be
consumed as side dishes instead, but it still deals a blow to their
livelihoods.”
The provincial authorities have been
repeatedly emphasizing support for ongoing work at the construction site, but
this has triggered anger among residents who are struggling with the shortage
of food they typically face in the spring, said the source. “Especially this
year, the drought has been so severe that rice prices have been climbing, so
this is proving to be double the burden,” he explained.
“It’s just like they think serfs are full
if their landowners are,” many have grumbled, according to the source, who added that no matter the difficulties residents have in getting by on daily basis, officials always make the same
demand, “Pay up!”
Aside from construction in Hyesan, there
are said to be multiple other statue construction projects ongoing under orders
from Kim Jong Un, spanning from Pyongyang and Nampo City to Sariwon in North
Hwanghae Province, and Haeju in South Hwanghae Province.
