North Korea’s economic troubles, made worse by international sanctions and COVID-19, are having a major impact on Hyesan Youth Copper Mine in Yanggang Province, Daily NK has learned.
A source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Sunday that Hyesan Youth Copper Mine recently suspended rations to its workers. He said some workers even collapse at work because they cannot eat regular meals.
The Hyesan Youth Copper Mine produces copper concentrate. Since forming the Hyesan-China Joint Venture Mineral Company with China’s Wanxiang Resources Limited Company in 2011, the mine had reportedly been hitting its annual copper concentrate target of 5,000 tons.
However, with the border being closed last year due to COVID-19, production has plummeted and rations limited to personal rations, excluding worker families. For the last several months, moreover, personal rations have been suspended and the mine is failing to provide even meals to miners in the tunnels, according to the source.
The source said as recently as March, workers who entered the mines received at least five kilograms of corn as personal rations. From April, however, they have received neither personal rations nor meals in the mines.
He said many people were entering the mines to collect more ore despite receiving no rations or meals, believing rumors that the border would soon open. Some people are collapsing as they work without eating.
Workers at Hyesan Youth Copper Mine earn a living by selling ore. For example, a kilogram of copper concentrate at Hyesan Youth Copper Mine sells for RMB 7 or 8, or USD 1.10 to USD 1.26.
In particular, workers sometimes leave work with more than 10 kilograms of copper concentrate. If you do this 20 days a month, you can sell over 200 kilograms of copper for RMB 1,500 (around USD 235).
With these potential profits in mind, workers continue to enter the mines to collect even a bit more ore, even though rations have been suspended, and sometimes collapse on the job from hunger, the source said.
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