North Korean authorities have recently begun to spread propaganda to members of the Socialist Women’s Union of Korea (SWUK) that stress the need for them to “support agricultural activities,” Daily NK has learned.
The recently-launched propaganda campaign appears to be part of efforts to mobilize SWUK members to take part in farming activities as the country faces further economic difficulties following the shutdown of the Sino-North Korean border in late January.
Lecture materials acquired by Daily NK and published by North Korea’s “Working Group Publishing Company” promote the idea that SWUK members should use their “love of country” and “battle spirit” to support farming activities so that the country can meet its annual grain production goals.
The materials essentially emphasize that SWUK members should take active part in fulfilling the major “tasks” presented by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during the country’s Central Committee plenary meeting held late last year. North Korean authorities have also continued to demand that SWUK members “take the lead” in implementing the “policy decisions” of North Korea’s communist party.
The source in North Korea who sent over the documents pointed out that they suggest North Korean authorities expect a fall in agricultural yields this year. The country already faces shortages in fertilizer and the price of vinyl film – a necessity for farmers – has reportedly increased five-fold. Farmers are reportedly saying that this year’s farming season was “cursed from the beginning.”
“The majority of people [in North Korea] are complaining of economic difficulties because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the source said. “The lecturer [who handed out the materials] emphasized that we must take an interest in farm work and [help fulfill the production goals] to overcome these difficulties.”
The lecture materials further stated that “decisively increasing agricultural production” is a “prerequisite” to making sanctions “useless” and to “reinvigorate economic construction.” They further noted that increasing agricultural production is a “serious political issue” that involves the “country’s dignity and [ability to be] self-sufficient.”
SWUK members are also being required to pay various “taxes” and take part in labor mobilizations, the source told Daily NK.
“The SWUK is demanding that its members take part in farm mobilizations and are even carefully checking documents they receive for collecting manure from farms [they were mobilized to work in],” the source said.
“SWUK members are set to suffer from enormous burdens given that member-based work units are being sent to construction sites and are involved in farm work on tidal flats,” she added.
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