Residents angered by continued government demands to provide material aid for construction projects

Since the start of the New Year, North Korean residents have been receiving orders to provide aid supplies for construction in Samjiyon County, Ryanggang Province, as part of perennial efforts to propagandize the town that North Korean folklore has established was the hometown of Kim Jong Il. 
 
A source in Kangwon Province (North Korea) who spoke with Daily NK on January 10 said, “Residents are already out on mobilization orders to gather compost including night soil for use as fertilizer, and are irritated by the additional orders to provide these additional supplies for the Samjiyon project. They have received a deadline to provide items such as shovels and gloves for those who are working on the Samjiyon mobilization.”
 
Kim Jong Un has continued to uphold the “sacred” nature of his father’s supposed birthplace, which helps support his own claim to the so-called “Mt. Paektu bloodline.” The residents are reacting negatively to this move, as the purpose is to further idolize Kim Jong Un, rather than to build homes for the people of Samjiyon.
 
While listing the country’s priorities for 2018 during his New Year’s Address, Kim Jong Un explicitly mentioned the location, saying they must “push ahead with major construction projects including the renovation of Samjiyon County.”
 
By placing the burden on ordinary people to complete construction projects that are primarily being carried out for idolization purposes, the authorities are opening themselves to criticism. Since 2015 at least, they have even demanded citizens provide kimchi and doenjang (fermented soy paste) among other items to be sent to Samjiyon construction project workers. Naturally, many are reacting by expressing dissatisfaction.
 
“The people who have been giving aid to the Samjiyon project for several years now are afraid to attend inminban (people’s unit, or neighborhood watch) or North Korea’s Socialist Women’s Union of Korea (f.k.a. Korean Democratic Women’s Union) meetings for fear of receiving additional orders,” the source said.
 
“Unlike other construction projects, when people are given orders regarding this specific project involving Kim Jong Il’s hometown, they can’t say anything at all, and so they keep it all bottled up inside. Some people have said that the cadres handing down the orders do so in a perfunctory, aloof kind of way.”
 
Some North Koreans had expressed hopes of an end to the demands for aid offerings for this project when authorities announced the opening of the Hyesan-Samjiyon rain route late last year, but this year’s renewed orders have instead amplified the anger of residents.
 
“There is apparently still much work to be done despite the rail line opening announcement, so aid orders will continue throughout the first quarter of the year, and people are saying that they are annoyed by the continuing Samjiyon project,”explained a separate source in Kangwon Province, adding that despite the government’s constant exploitation of the locals, they nevertheless continue to fulfill state demands for “self-reliance and self-development” through their hard work.
 
“People are typically required to provide dozens of pairs of gloves, shovels, scarves, and other items for use in the construction projects each year. Some families with children that have already moved out will combine the efforts of several households in order to fulfill the demands,” she said. 
 
Meanwhile, the Hyesan-Samjiyon train line has undergone initial testing and is in the final stages of completion, according to an announcement by the Rodong Sinmun on December 31.