Students at a senior middle school in Taechon county, North Pyongan province, are being mobilized en masse to clear weeds at a nearby Air Force airfield without access to basic supplies or proper medical care, raising serious concerns about the exploitation of minors.
According to a military source in North Korea who spoke to Daily NK recently, first and second-year students at the main senior middle school in Taechon county have been mobilized since late June to clear weeds at the nearby Taechon Air Force airfield. Following school orders, the students work at the site each afternoon until evening.
After finishing morning classes, students head to the airfield and spend the rest of the day cutting grass by hand with sickles. They reportedly receive no basic protective gear such as gloves, nor emergency medical supplies in case of injury.
Dangerous working conditions lead to serious injuries
The dangerous conditions became evident when a serious accident occurred on June 29. “A student suffered a severe finger laceration while working, but instead of using antiseptic or a proper coagulant, the military medic applied cigarette ash to the wound,” the source said. “Teachers at the scene were appalled by the unhygienic treatment and visibly shocked.”
The student was sent home without further treatment, leaving the family to handle the injury privately. “His parents had to find medicine themselves to treat the wound,” the source added.
The students work daily from midday until around 8 p.m. without proper rest breaks. Even basic necessities like drinking water aren’t provided. Some students show signs of exhaustion, while others have to walk to nearby homes to get water.
The mobilization has intensified in preparation for a mid-July inspection related to the Air Force Command’s summer leadership training exercises.
Despite active-duty troops being stationed at the Taechon airfield, students are being mobilized due to a lack of personnel and equipment needed to maintain the facility.
“Every year around this time, students from nearby schools are mobilized in place of soldiers to clear weeds or shovel snow at the airfield,” the source explained. “The base is essentially neglected, and the students have become the de facto maintenance labor force.”
Long-standing pattern of student exploitation
The repeated mobilization of students for military facility maintenance has drawn criticism for years. However, most schools receive small-scale material support from the air force unit, leaving them with little choice but to comply, especially in summer when weeds overgrow and in winter when snow accumulates.
Among locals, especially parents, concerns are growing. “Is it even possible to maintain the airfield without relying on students?” some reportedly ask. Others are cautiously criticizing the situation, saying, “It’s wrong to depend on students for both summer weeding and winter snow removal.”
The regular mobilization of teenagers for military support tasks highlights the poor state of child rights in North Korea, despite the country being a signatory to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Translated by Kyungmin Kim.
