Forced rural relocation schemes sometimes lead to heartbreak
According to a Daily NK source in North Korea on Sunday, officials in the city of Pyongsong recently selected about 150 “volunteers” for relocation to rural areas.
The authorities carried out the selection until July 15, in accordance with orders from the Central Committee.
One man in his 20s, surnamed Choe and from Ori-dong, Pyongsong, reportedly had to call off his engagement when his name was added to the “volunteer” list.
The criteria for the latest selection was as follows. First, “volunteers” had to have a bad family background. That is, they were the descendent of a landlord or capitalist, or somebody in their family collaborated with anti-communist forces during the Korean War or fled to South Korea.
Second, one of their parents was from a rural region. That is to say, if their mother or father lived in a rural community, they too must head off to a rural community. ......
[Source: Daily NK]
