North Korean authorities have ordered trading companies and workers in China to contribute cash for flood recovery efforts back home, a source in China told The Daily NK on Thursday, speaking anonymously.
The task ultimately fell to North Korean workers at clothing factories, seafood companies and electronics plants throughout China.
Workers at one clothing factory in Dandong, Liaoning province, ended up giving almost their entire salary to the authorities except for 500 Chinese yuan in living expenses.
Workers at the factory receive salaries of 2,500 to 3,000 yuan, but they paid about 80% to the authorities this month as party funds, Socialist Women’s Union of Korea dues and flood recovery contributions.
The Daily NK reported earlier this month that North Korean workers in Russia were ordered to pay $70 in cash per person to support flood recovery efforts.
In Russia, workers were clearly instructed to pay $70 across the board, but workers in China were not given a clear sum.
Trading companies that manage the workers are paying the flood recovery contributions, so the sum workers pay likely differs depending on the factory that employs them.
Trading companies in China are competing to show loyalty to the North Korean regime by contributing their workers’ salaries to flood recovery efforts. While some companies might try to leave workers with slightly more than basic living expenses, most are expected to turn over nearly all of their employees’ earnings to the authorities. This practice leaves workers with only minimal amounts for food and essential costs, as companies feel compelled to participate in this loyalty-driven contribution system.