Incidents have come to light involving North Korean workers in China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo engaging in protests over non-payment of wages. Normally subjected to strict oversight even when abroad, these workers have unusually stood up against such conditions, driven by grievances that mounted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Extended lockdowns necessitated prolonged work periods under harsh conditions, pushing their frustrations to a breaking point and sparking protests over unpaid wages.
This rare act of defiance underscores the deep-seated discontent among North Korean laborers overseas. According to local Chinese sources, in mid-January, it was confirmed that about 2,000 North Korean workers at a garment factory in Helong, Jilin Province, initiated a strike and riot. The investigation revealed that Mr. Shin, the vice president in charge of financing the workers for this company, did not pay the workers their share of wages paid by the Chinese side since 2020, when COVID-19 halted travel between North Korea and China, instead appropriating a portion for himself or offering it as loyalty funds to North Korea. Shin allegedly promised workers their full wages in a lump sum once they returned to North Korea.
Despite monthly earnings of $400 to $500, deductions for the regime and living costs left them with just $150 to $200. It’s estimated that millions of dollars in wages were withheld, with a portion diverted to North Korean leadership or pocketed by company officials. The majority of these workers in China are young women in their 20s and 30s who lived and worked within the confines of clothing factories during the pandemic, subjected to stress from being prohibited from leaving and from enduring years without news from their families in North Korea.
They faced hardships like diminished work and earnings, as well as suffering from hunger and diseases in overcrowded dormitories. These workers, having not received any salary for three years, began demanding their back pay as COVID-19 restrictions eased and the possibility of returning home became feasible last year. However, the company’s response that they would pay once the workers could return only fueled their anger, leading them to refuse work, take managers and supervisors hostage, and resort to violence, including damaging property.
The escalation of their resistance prompted intervention from local Chinese law enforcement. Following the incident, North Korean officials quickly sent the consul general from Shenyang and agents from the Ministry of State Security, promising immediate wage payment. Through financial maneuvering by company executives and diplomats, the funds were disbursed within three days, quelling the protests and riots. After the situation was resolved, Deputy Manager Shin was found dead in his dorm room on the evening of January 16th. The investigation concluded it was a suicide, given the lack of evidence for external entry into his room. North Korean authorities have attributed the entire incident to his personal misconduct, absolving themselves of all responsibility.
This incident, initially sparked by wage disputes, also signifies a release of tension accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic. North Korean laborers in China, grappling with depression and erratic behavior, were overwhelmed by severe oversight and grim working conditions. Their frustrations, intensified by arduous labor and subpar living conditions, led to confrontations with authorities. Furthermore, in March of the previous year, around 150 female workers at the garment factory contracted tuberculosis, necessitating medical care or resulting in death.
Worker discontent mounted as 75-80% of their wages were seized by authorities, with the remaining 15-20% unpaid since wage payment was halted after the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak. Their grievances intensified due to regular assaults by managers and strict measures against defection, including forced communal living, stringent daily controls, confiscation of IDs and passports, isolation from the outside world, and smartphone bans, all of which eroded their privacy rights. Japan’s Sankei Shimbun reported on the 26th, citing multiple sources familiar with North Korea, that “dozens of North Korean workers at a construction site in the Republic of the Congo, Africa, rioted last month in protest of their delayed return.
” The collective actions of overseas North Korean workers are exceptional and signify that North Koreans will boldly take collective measures when their economic interests and right to life are threatened by authoritarian control. The 2009 currency reform, initiated under Kim Jong-un, led to significant economic losses for North Korean citizens.
This sparked nationwide protests, including the burning and discarding of old currency notes with Kim Il-sung’s portrait. In response, North Korean authorities executed Pak Nam-gi, Director of the Planning and Finance Department of the ruling party of North Korea, following the premier’s apology to placate public anger.
The collective actions of overseas North Korean workers can be viewed as resistance to the severe exploitation and human rights violations by North Korean authorities. Since 2016, to prevent defections and earn more foreign currency, North Korea has been dispatching active-duty soldiers to Russia under the guise of workers. Unlike regular workers, who are supposed to receive 15-20% of their wages, soldiers do not require payment.
However, the likelihood of future defections among overseas North Korean workers seems set to continue. Exposure to global culture via mobile phones has weakened their allegiance to the North Korean regime and increased their desire for the freedoms of the wider world. Specifically, if North Korean authorities continue to exploit their wages excessively, the growing sense of self-interest among North Korean youth could trigger a range of reactions.
Add Comment