[imText1]The North Korean authorities always proclaim that “There is not a single unemployed person in socialist North Korea.”
Although that is a lie, the North Korean authorities keep propagating it. Indeed, the state has been using the propaganda maneuver for over fifty years. Unfortunately, there are some South Korean people who take this lie as truth.
The North Korean regime arbitrarily posts most of its people, except for a few, at the workplaces regardless of their fit with the job or ability. Therefore, of those placed into unfavorable places such as coal mines or factories (in bad conditions) are individuals who refused the job.
However, the current day unemployed are different from their counterparts back in the 1980s and 90s. In the past, the unemployed were those who rejected the jobs provided by the regime. Now, people become jobless because factories and complexes refuse to receive new workers.
The number of the unemployed has increased especially since the late 1990s when the authorities suspended its food distribution and many factories or complexes stopped operating because there was no work provided.
Lately, the North Korean authorities ordered that the managers of the factory complexes take responsibility for providing food rations for their workers. If they fail, the authorities warned that the managers would lose their positions. Thus, it is burdensome for the managers to receive new workers.
In a phone conversation with DailyNK on October 12th, Kim Chul Man (pseudonym), who works in Yanji in China and conducts trade business between North Korea and China said, “There are many unemployed people in North Korea. It is because the managers do not want to receive new workers since they have to provide for their workers both wage and food ration.”
“How could the managers receive the new workers when it is hard to give wage and food to existing workers?” Mr. Kim said, “Even those who work under managers competent for providing both food and wage for their workers are concerned about securing their jobs.”
Mr. Kim also said, “Discharged solders who are incompetent and those females who only finished junior high school are of particular concern. Most of them make a living by doing petty business.”
Lee Yung Gu(pseudonym), a defector who came to South Korea this year said, “In North Korea, anyone who has money and ability can become a manager. The authorities appoint new managers based on their ability to provide wage and money for workers.”
“The state factories are indeed managers’ factories,” said Lee, adding “In such a situation, the managers act highhandedly.” Lee said, “Some female workers even prostitute themselves to their mangers in order to secure jobs and receive more food and money.”
