Inmates at some forced labor camps in North Korea have reportedly been tasked with producing more wigs, false eyelashes and other goods. This suggests the authorities may have ordered the inmates to produce the deliverables for toll manufacturing contracts signed with Chinese companies.
A source in North Korea told Daily NK on Monday that several forced labor camps had been given many more “production tasks” earlier this month compared with last year. He said the head of the production department of the corrections bureau of the Ministry of Social Security was visiting forced labor camps in Kaechon and Paekto (Tosong-ri Labor Camp) to check on production, accompanied by three other officials.
North Korean authorities divide labor camp prisoners into groups for indoor and outdoor work, tasking them with intensive forced labor. Each camp is a bit different, but generally, indoor work includes eyelashes, wigs, knitted goods, day labor, furniture, shoemaking, sewing and cooking for the other inmates, while outdoor work consists of building construction, civil engineering, mining and cultivating crops like rice, corn and vegetables.
Of these, indoor tasks have apparently increased from last year.
The source said prisoners rested last winter after the COVID-19 pandemic started, producing only compost and spending much of their time sleeping and relaxing in comfort.
He said this was because the authorities could not provide supplies for export items due to COVID-19. Recently, however, the corrections bureau has gotten its hands on a huge stash of supplies.
North Korea usually tasks a single work team (30-70 prisoners) per labor camp with producing export items in early winter, usually after the harvest.
This is to say, prisoners did little work last year as they were given few production tasks with imported supplies coming to a halt, but things are much different this winter.
The source said the Kaechon camp has received lots of thread to make knitted clothes, eyelashes, wigs and especially crocheted caps, knitted caps and sweater vests. At Paekto, they have received lots of materials for accessories, dolls and other items.
North Korea suspended imports and exports when it closed its border as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in early 2020. This prevented raw materials from entering the country, hitting the economy hard. In particular, a string of toll manufacturing businesses went belly up as they could not receive raw materials from China.
Nevertheless, North Korea has apparently gotten hold of a large cache of imported raw materials for toll manufacturing orders, despite the continued suspension of trade. This is exceptional, given North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sensitivity regarding quarantine efforts.
There is speculation that the authorities intend to provide materials only to labor camps — a closed space — for production of toll manufacturing goods. This appears aimed at earning foreign currency through toll manufacturing while minimizing the risk of COVID-19 spreading.
Accordingly, ordinary enterprises likely received no imported supplies for toll manufacturing.
The source said the corrections bureau will review production per work team and per labor camp by Jan. 8, with an administrative order going out that negative reviews would be based on actual production numbers.
The source said this reflects the North Korean authorities’ intention to task short-term inmates with back-breaking work.
Meanwhile, the international community is increasingly vocal in its criticism of forced labor at North Korean prisons, claiming it is tantamount to slavery, a crime against humanity.
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