Officials’ wives in North Hwanghae province are increasingly taking jobs in road maintenance to avoid mandatory labor assignments. The trend comes as housewives face frequent mobilization for various work projects.
A source in the province told Daily NK on Thursday that cities and counties throughout the region have seen a surge in officials’ wives joining road maintenance crews.
“You now see well-off women walking through parks, hospitals, and train stations wearing road maintenance armbands. Most are married to officials from municipal and county party committees or people’s committees,” the source said.
The move comes as members of the Socialist Women’s Union of Korea face increasingly demanding work assignments. The union has been mobilizing members for factory construction, tideland reclamation, and river embankment projects. Additionally, members are being pressured to “volunteer” for “shock troops” dispatched to some of the country’s most challenging regions.
Union propaganda describes these shock troops as “powerful units driving socialist development and progress” that must provide labor in demanding areas.
Some women are trying to leave the union entirely to avoid these assignments, including officials’ wives seeking positions on road maintenance crews.
“Officials’ wives are particularly frustrated with the union’s labor mobilization and hardship assignments. They face pressure to actively participate in union activities for their husbands’ reputation, and their status means they’re often expected to volunteer for the toughest jobs,” the source explained.
As work mobilization orders continue unabated, officials’ wives have sought these nominal positions. “Road maintenance workers are officially employed, exempting them from union activities and volunteer construction or farming projects. While they must show up early, they only need to be present for a few hours since neighborhood watch units and companies handle actual road cleaning,” the source said.
“Previously, officials’ wives sought jobs in commercial maintenance and food services. However, those positions still require meeting state quotas, making road maintenance more attractive.”
Regular union members, who have no choice but to perform assigned labor, resent these privileges. “If the state demands labor, it should at least provide a stipend. Instead, people are forced to work without even getting meals. Regular union members struggle while watching officials’ wives find ways to leave the organization,” the source said.
January 17, 2025 at 10:15PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)