After their official workday ends, North Korean workers at a clothing factory in China’s Liaoning Province are doing three hours of additional work making fake eyelashes. The workers have no other choice but to pursue the side hustle because, after contributing so much of their wages to the North Korean authorities, they are unable to survive on what remains.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a source in China told Daily NK on Wednesday that North Korean workers at the unidentified clothing factory “leave the factory for three hours after work to produce fake eyelashes,” adding that they do this because “after paying part of their earnings to the state, they can’t live on the money that remains, so they have no choice but to engage in a side gig.”
According to the source, the North Korean workers at the factory make RMB 2,800 (about USD 380) a month. After the workers contribute what they owe to their country’s government, only around RMB 1,000 (USD 137) remains in many cases.
The workers find it challenging to purchasing daily necessities with so little money. Female workers use cloth to save money purchasing female hygiene products. Ultimately, North Korean workers find themselves in a position where they have no choice but to work on the side to make ends meet, the source said.
“For North Korean workers, engaging in side gigs after work is the only way they can take home everything they make because they don’t report their [extra] earnings to the authorities.”
North Korean laborers working in the clothing factory in Liaoning Province begin work at 8 AM and leave at 7 PM. They then make fake eyelashes for three hours after work. Each pair of fake eyelashes is worth 20 jiao, so the workers make RMB 35 (USD 4.80) a day at the most.
Workers complain of ailments due to toxic materials
Since the materials used to produce fake eyelashes are highly toxic, the workers complain of various ailments, including hives all over their bodies and nausea.
“The glue used to produce fake eyelashes is really noxious, so it produces a serious odor even if you wear a mask while you work,” the source explained. “North Korean workers complain of several side effects, including nausea, hives, stomach pain, and puffy eyes.
“If they used South Korean glue, there’d be no side effects, but since it’s expensive, they use cheap Chinese glue. North Korean workers just bear the pain as they make the fake eyelashes. If they spend money to go to the hospital, this would make their side gig meaningless.”
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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