North Korea plans to select additional laborers to send to Russian-occupied regions of eastern Ukraine. In fact, Pyongyang plans to send about 300 people, with the primary goal being to earn foreign currency.
A source in North Korea told Daily NK on Monday that the country plans to start the second round of selections on Nov. 1. He said the authorities have issued “recommendation rights” to each Cabinet ministry and committee, and that each workplace must submit recommendations to the Workers’ Party’s Cadres Department (human resources department) by the end of November.
Daily NK previously reported that North Korea had selected personnel to dispatch for reconstruction efforts in regions of eastern Ukraine occupied by Russia.
“Through the second round of selections, North Korea plans to organize a total of six teams [to be sent to Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine],” said the source. “About 50 people will be in each team, so it seems about 300 people will be chosen nationwide. Considering the first round of selections [about 800-1,000 people], the country plans to send a large number of people overseas.”
However, United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397, adopted in December of 2017, bans North Korea from sending workers overseas. As such, North Korea is blatantly violating sanctions to send workers to Russia as a way to resolve foreign exchange shortages.
“The government has a shortage of foreign currency, so it urgently needs to send workers overseas,” said the source. “Since sending workers overseas is subject to international sanctions, the government plans to send workers to any country that will take them and where there’s money to be made.”
In fact, the source said the government plans to earn at least USD 600 to 700 a month from each worker. “The government thinks the workers should make more than this for it all to be worth it,” he added.
PYONGYANGITES AVOID SELECTIONS OUT OF SAFETY CONCERNS
Meanwhile, people living in areas outside of Pyongyang and other major cities are expected to account for the bulk of second round selections, as was the case in the first round. This is because big city residents are relatively better informed about the destination, and are avoiding being drafted out of concern of their safety.
The source said people in Pyongyang or with connections to the Cadres Department are not inquiring about the location — presumably because they already know about Ukraine — nor do they want their family members to apply for the job.
“Since Pyongyang residents aren’t going, the authorities are giving as many recommendations as they can to provincial residents,” he said.
The source further explained that officials in the cadre departments of major cities like Pyongyang, Nampo and Pyongsong complain that this is the first time in 30 years that they have seen people avoid a chance to go overseas. They say this is a marked contrast with the old days, when people needed official recommendations to go abroad.
On the other hand, provincial residents reportedly demonstrate no real hesitation to apply. The source said volunteers do not believe they are going to die, even if eastern Ukraine is a conflict zone.
“Some provincial residents optimistically believe that the state would never drive them to their deaths,” said the source. “It seems they think the government will conclude a good contract with Russia so that they can work in the safest place possible.”
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
