Many North Koreans working in China returned to their country at the end of last year in accordance with a UN-mandated repatriation order, but Daily NK sources in China recently reported that some of these workers are now returning to China.
“Although China did send back workers who might be in violation of the repatriation order, such as laborers or trading company employees, some of the very same workers are coming back into China,” a China-based North Korea source told Daily NK on Jan. 23.
“That North Korea would actually withdraw all of its North Korean workers from China was basically a fantasy,” added the source.
For their part, Chinese companies are said to support the move because they prefer North Koreans with a few years’ work experience in China, including familiarity with the job.
NORTH KOREA PREPARES NEW WORKFORCE FOR CHINA DUTY
North Korea is preparing to deploy a new workforce to China, Daily NK sources reported.
“There are workers in Pyongyang who are preparing to move to China,” said the source. “They are being deployed under the pretense of professional cooperation and exchange.”
North Korean authorities are reportedly working with their Chinese counterparts to produce the documents (presumably visas and proofs of residence) needed to send this new workforce into China, sources said.
One source explained that this documentation does not reflect the actual affiliation or job type of the workers in question.
“As far as I know, visas – student visas or otherwise- will not be used to send this new group of workers to China,” said the source. “They will be listed as affiliated with a company to maintain the pretext of professional exchanges between the two countries. They will then be sent to restaurants or factories once they receive approval for entry into China.”
Daily NK sources also reported that male North Korean workers are currently standing by for deployment to the construction industry in China.
“Regional Chinese governments are preparing documentation to admit them into the country, but it’s not yet known whether this documentation will be in the form of visas or letters of invitation,” one source said.
Based on observations from multiple sources in China, the new North Korean workforce will most likely be deployed to cities like Dandong or Shenyang in Liaoning Province, or Yanji in Jilin Province.
THE BALL IS IN CHINA’S COURT
Meanwhile, Daily NK sources reported that there have been no attempts to send North Korean workers back to their country in areas of China where there are large concentrations of North Korean laborers.
“North Korean supervisors managing the workers are afraid that they will be punished if they withdraw their workforce without a backup plan in place,” one source told Daily NK.
“They are holding out for as long as possible until the Chinese government takes strong measures to send their workers back to North Korea,” he added.
*Translated by Violet Kim
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
