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N. Koreans start the new year with the obligatory “manure collection battle”

North Koreans are once again engaged in their first “battle” of the new year: the collection of manure for use as fertilizer. 

“As in past years, the first battle of the new year has begun at factories and enterprises, neighborhood watch units, schools, and other organizations,” a source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. He added: “People have to prepare manure and transport it to farms, which is a lot of work.”

At the end of every year, North Korea issues a general mobilization order for manure production throughout the country and people begin collecting manure from the start of the new year. This year, as in years past, all second graders (which is when children are required to join the Korean Children’s Union) and above have been mobilized to collect manure.

Although the manure collection campaign occurs at the start of every year, Daily NK’s source said that people are complaining much more compared to past years.

“People’s lives are getting harder and harder, but the tasks the government is forcing on people continues to increase,” the source said. “People weren’t able to properly celebrate New Year’s Day, and they are struggling to make ends meet. The government continues mass mobilizations, so people are bound to be dissatisfied.”

According to the source, one person expressed their frustration by saying: “Even though we have been dragging compost carts every year, we’ve never been given even one gram of rice after a successful farming season.” Another said, “I am really tired of this life.” Yet another was heard to say: “I can only sigh and wonder how long we will have to live like this.”

Meanwhile, some people expressed direct criticism of the North Korean regime. One person said: “There is no other country on earth that pesters its people all year, from January to December,” while another said: “People in other countries are able to live well without collecting manure, but we are forced to live frugally and our lives keep on getting worse no matter how many tasks we fulfill.”

In Hyesan, Yanggang Province, the manure collection “battle” began in earnest on Jan. 3, and women, especially those who combine household work with economic activities, are lamenting that “we are yet again facing lives worse than those in forced labor camps.”

“Women are mobilized to produce manure in the morning and then have to rush to the markets in the afternoon to make money to feed their families. They don’t even have time to take a single pill of medicine even when they are sick,” the source said, adding: “I hope that this will be the year when markets will see more business so women won’t have to work so hard.”

Translated by Anonymous. Edited by Robert Lauler. 

Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK’s reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.  

Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.

Read in Korean

January 08, 2024 at 06:30AM

by DailyNK(North Korean Media)

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