Forced mobilization of North Korean residents continues at Samjiyon project site
Daily NK sources have again reported that the North Korean authorities are forcibly mobilizing residents to work at the Samjiyon modernization project, despite the poor working conditions that continue to drive workers away. Specifically, sources report that participants in a training program for preschool teachers in Pungso County, Ryanggang Province, reacted angrily when they were ordered to participate in the project.
“A group of preschool teachers found out that a week-long preschool teachers training program that began on August 8 was actually just a ruse to force them to work at the project site,” a source in Ryanggang Province told Daily NK.
According to the source, the training was supposed to begin at 8 AM, but the local Pungso County Party administration committee director suddenly appeared and told all of the participants to go to the Samjiyon project site. Preparations had evidently been made for all of the participants to immediately head to the site for construction work..
The participants, however, strongly protested the order. The official tried to persuade them to go, but they reportedly responded that it would be “over their dead bodies.” The official then changed tack and calmed the participants down by saying that the training would resume normally again at 2 PM that day.
The participants, however, simply went home or to the homes of friends without returning to work, concerned that the authorities would again attempt to send them to Samjiyon, the source said. Those that went to friend’s houses returned to their own homes that evening. ......
[Source: DailyNK]
