Managers of North Korean laborers at a factory in China are taking some of the money set aside for meals and sending it to the North Korean government’s “loyalty fund,” a Daily NK source in China reported today.
“Of the RMB 300 set aside for meal expenditures in monthly salaries, RMB 100 is being taken away and contributed [to the loyalty fund],” the source, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, told Daily NK. RMB 100 is around USD 14.
While portions of laborers’ salaries have long been taken out for loyalty fund contributions, the source’s report suggests that North Korean officials are taking out even more money from salaries than in the past.
The reason may be that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to less labor contracts with Chinese companies, which has led to a fall in money available to contribute to the loyalty fund. North Korean officials may be trying to make up for the loss by siphoning off money set aside for workers’ meals.
Daily NK previously reported (in Korean) that North Korean authorities have been demanding excessive contributions into the loyalty fund, despite the fact that China’s economy has been suffering.
According to the source, North Korean laborers in China are suffering because they do not have enough money to pay for meals.
“Three hundred RMB will buy [enough] rice, a simple selection of vegetables, kimchi, and a little bit of meat for one person [to eat over a month],” the source said. “Now, because they don’t even have enough money to buy food, they’re having trouble eating properly.”
He further told Daily NK that laborers are not able to eat side dishes with meat at all – something they had eaten occasionally in the past – because they do not have enough money.
“[Laborers] are just eking by with rice and kimchi,” he added.
FOR THE MOTHERLAND
According to the source, the issue is not limited to the factory he is familiar with – it is occurring in other places as well.
Indeed, many North Korean workers appear to be very upset about their unsatisfactory salaries and inability to pay for food while also working more than 12 hours a day in difficult conditions.
One North Korean worker at a factory in Liaoning Province told Daily NK that he could “eat better” in North Korea than in China and that he wants to “return home quickly.”
According to the worker, who requested anonymity for security reasons, his manager is buying “all sorts of things” to take back to North Korea using money set aside for food costs in workers’ salaries. “It’s so uncomfortable living in a small dormitory room with all that stuff sitting in here,” he said.
Meanwhile, a trade official who manages North Korean laborers in China told Daily NK that he had little choice but to take more money out of workers’ salaries because “the COVID-19 [pandemic] had made it impossible to collect money for the loyalty fund and various tasks [goods requested by the authorities].” The official, who spoke under condition of anonymity, noted that “I either take more money out from salaries than usual, or lower living expenses to contribute what’s left.”
According to the official, he has little choice but to take more money out of workers’ salaries to contribute to the loyalty fund because “the people are starving due to both the virus and damage from floods,” adding that “The situation here [in China] is better [than in North Korea].”
Daily NK previously reported that a North Korean trading company representative told workers in Jilin Province in July that North Korea’s economic situation is “at its worst.”
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
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