Authorities in North Hamgyong Province recently ordered local officials to engage in intensive efforts to complete the production of student uniforms by Feb. 1, Daily NK has learned.
“The province started producing student uniforms since the beginning of January, but there have been many obstacles in the process,” a source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Jan. 26 on condition of anonymity. “Therefore, the provincial party committee sent party workers and officials of the provincial people’s committeeNorth Korean people's committees are akin to local governmen... More to the factories to coordinate the production efforts and put all their efforts into the production process until the uniforms are finished.”
According to the source, garment factories in North Hamgyong Province have been working nonstop since the beginning of the new calendar year to produce the uniforms, working three shifts and day and night shifts. However, production has not gone smoothly due to problems such as an insufficient supply of resources.
On Jan. 15, the North Hamgyong Province Party Committee ordered party workers and people’s committeeNorth Korean people's committees are akin to local governmen... More officials to work directly with the factory workers to spare no effort in producing the uniforms.
“The Central Committee recently issued a nationwide order to produce new uniforms for students,” the source said. “The workers are worried about how each province will raise all the funds needed to produce the uniforms in just one month to meet the strict Feb. 1 deadline.”
Since the central government has not provided any support for the production of uniforms, people’s committeeNorth Korean people's committees are akin to local governmen... More officials have had to work tirelessly to organize logistics and obtain sufficient resources, electricity, and personnel.
In addition, the preparation period for completing the uniforms overlaps with preparations for the Day of the Shining Star (Kim Jong-il’s birthday on Feb. 16), for which sweets and food must be delivered to people’s homes. As a result, factory workers have not had time to go home and are instead working around the clock alongside officials sent to the factories.
“North Hamgyong Province, in particular, takes great care to ensure the quality of school uniforms,” the source said. “The uniforms produced by each province are sent to the central government and ranked after a quality analysis, so there’s a mentality among officials here of not wanting to lose out to other provinces.”
Unlike the production of snacks, which are quickly consumed, school uniforms must be well made because they are worn by students every day. Some factories have imported fabric from China to use the highest quality materials, but since they cannot afford to make uniforms entirely from imported fabric, they have had no choice but to mix in lower-quality domestic fabric, making it difficult to guarantee high-quality uniforms.
Nevertheless, officials in North Hamgyong Province are doing their best to supply shops in the province with the new uniforms before the Feb. 1 deadline set by the central government, the source said.
Translated by Annie Eunjung Kim. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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