There has recently been an increasing number of suicides among North Korean workers in China, signifying the depressed mood among North Korean managers and trade officials in the country due to COVID-19 restrictions.
According to a Daily NK source in China last Friday, the number of suicides among North Korean trade representatives or trade officials in China has increased starting this year.
While there were just a few suicides last year, this year they are happening every month, the source said.
“I am aware of at least four people who have committed suicide,” the source said, suggested that there have been more cases of people ending their lives.
This recent rise in suicides among North Korean workers in China is due to the decline in business that has come as a result of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
Many Chinese businesses are experiencing management crises due to the “zero-COVID” policy being implemented by the Chinese government.
Whole cities are put under quarantine if confirmed COVID-19 cases are discovered, leading to instability in the distribution of raw materials and declines in consumption.
North Korean trade-related organizations and entrepreneurs who manage businesses in China are experiencing serious financial difficulties as the business environment deteriorates in the country. In addition, there have been quite a few North Korean restaurants in China that have been forced to close their doors due to COVID-19.
When the Chinese government recently quarantined part of Liaoning Province, raw materials could not be brought into several cities, including Donggang. As a result, operations were temporarily suspended at a factory in which North Korean workers are employed.
Nevertheless, North Korean authorities are not taking full stock of the current situation in China as they continue to force workers to earn foreign currency.
According to the source, due to fears of punishment in the event they are not able to make payments to the authorities, many North Korean workers suffer from a great deal of stress. Once they can no longer take it, some even choose to end their lives.
After China-North Korea freight train operations resumed in mid-January, many North Korean workers in China expected to earn money through private trade to meet their foreign currency quotas.
However, North Korean authorities still prohibit workers in China from engaging in any private trade activities. This situation has led to increased disappointment among many workers.
Furthemore, as confirmed cases of COVID-19 within China have recently been on the rise, regulations put in place by North Korean authorities have been tightened in the name of pandemic prevention.
According to the source, in early March, the North Korean authorities instructed the North Korean consulate to prevent contact between workers and “outsiders” due to confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Dandong.
The North Korean consulate is conducting a review of North Korean workers in Dandong and Shenyang.
The consulate has been calling expat workers between 10 – 11 AM every morning, and those who do not answer receive punishment.
“It’s obvious that business becomes more difficult when people can’t work and controls [over their activites] intensify,” the source said, adding, “Stopping people from working while also telling them to contribute [foreign currency] is pushing people to make extreme choices.”
If you or anyone you know is in crisis, please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention website for links and helplines.
Translated by Jason Mallet
