workers
North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported on Sept. 30, 2024, that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had visited the site of reconstruction in flood-stricken parts of North Pyongan province. “Comrade Kim Jong Un emphasized that quickly easing the pain of the flood victims and returning the damaged areas to normal is the greatest priority facing the Party and the government at the current time,” the newspaper said. (Rodong Sinmun, News 1)
North Korean workers mobilized for the construction of large greenhouses are complaining about not being allowed to visit home for family matters, such as the birth of a child. The greenhouses are currently being built in Hadan village, Sinuiju, and Soho village, Uiju county, areas that were devastated by flooding last year.
A source in North Pyongan province told Daily NK recently that following North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s attendance at the ribbon cutting of a greenhouse covering 450jongbo (ajongbo is close to a hectare in area) on Feb. 10, teams of construction workers are competing on such tasks as groundwork, road repairs andblock design.
But the shock troops, as these squads of construction workers are called, are frustrated because the authorities keep denying requests for leave to attend to family matters on the grounds that there are no workers to replace them.
Shock troop managers have been co-opting some workers who want leave as “model workers” in morale-building propaganda designed to keep workers at the construction sites for greenhouses focused on their tasks.
Early in March, one member of the shock troops requested leave after hearing that his wife had given birth. But he was not allowed to go home because there was nobody to replace him.
This move aroused criticism among the shock troops because it conflicts with North Korean government initiatives encouraging citizens to have more children.
Shock troop managers had been delaying approval for leave when they suddenly named the worker a “model revolutionary who chooses to continue dedicating himself to his work even after hearing that his wife has given birth.” This propaganda claimed that the worker’s wife and newborn child were no doubt proud of him for carrying out his revolutionary work under the vision of the Marshal, as North Koreans often call leader Kim Jong Un.
In reality, the worker cannot go home, although he wants to, because his managers will not let him. But his managers have concocted a sappy story about him being a model worker who volunteers to stay at work even after his wife gave birth in an attempt to boost morale.
His colleagues in the shock troops feel sorry for the worker, who will likely be stuck in his role as model worker, unable to go see his newborn child.
This turn of events has left the worker in question unable to openly express his dissatisfaction with managers who refuse to give him leave. Other workers who had been planning to request leave for similar reasons are now thinking twice, the source said.
“In the end, this is being used to control shock troop members who want to leave their post. The idea is to make workers feel guilty about wanting to leave when even this guy who really deserves to go see his new baby is so dedicated that he’s staying at the construction site,” the source said.
Numerous work crews are currently assigned to the greenhouse construction site, including not only the Mount Paektu Heroic Youth Shock Troops and the Speed Battle Youth Shock Troops but also shock troop crews assembled from various organizations. Since the work crews are competing with each other, managers are under pressure to prevent any of the workers from running away.
“Shock troop managers are organizing flashy events where they send gifts to the families of model workers in an attempt to keep the shock troop workers at the construction site,” the source said.
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