North Korea is planning to send a significant number of its citizens to work overseas, particularly in Russia and China. This initiative follows orders from the Central Committee to provincial Workers’ Party committees in late August, instructing them to give priority to overseas labor recruitment.
After receiving these orders, the cadre (human resources) department of North Hamgyong province’s party committee immediately drew up a detailed plan for provincial recruitment and has been working on recruiting workers, conducting background checks and interviewing applicants.
Under the same orders, the cadre department of South Pyongan province’s party committee has begun the recruitment process by providing detailed information on the recruitment of overseas workers to organizations and enterprises in the province.
Each province plans to complete the recruitment process quickly and send the first group of workers as early as November.
“The striking thing about this recruitment drive is that there is less distinction between men and women than before, and that anyone from their 20s to mid-40s and even older people can apply, provided they are healthy and technically skilled,” said a source in North Hamgyong province.
“The workers sent overseas are supposed to work for the economic interests of the state, not their own personal interests. As such, they’ll work hard for little pay while being closely monitored. The government places the highest priority on thorough ideological screening of applicants during recruitment.”
Given the continuing defections of diplomats and other North Koreans on overseas assignments, cadre departments at provincial party committees are prioritizing background checks in the recruitment process, while recognizing that many applicants hope to defect while abroad.
“North Koreans are generally better informed than they were a few years ago, even though they’re suffering more financial hardship. People who are disillusioned with their lives are wondering how to get out of this place (North Korea) and into a new world. Some people are so determined to leave the country that they’re bribing officials in the cadre department to get on the list of overseas workers,” the source said.