North Korean students from Kim Il Sung University of Politics have been mobilized for flood-recovery work in North Pyongan province’s Uiju county since early August. The students, set to graduate next spring, remain engaged in reconstruction efforts.
In response, parents have initiated an unusual competition, rushing to visit their children at the construction site. They arrive bearing supplies, each hoping to demonstrate that their offspring are faring well amid the demanding recovery work.
“Some mobilized students have openly asked their parents for help so that they don’t look poor in front of their peers, and other parents have taken it upon themselves to bring supplies to ensure that their children stand out,” a source in North Pyongan province told The Daily NK recently. “An increasing number of parents are visiting their children at the Kim Il Sung University of Politics who are assigned to the flood relief work.”
The ruling Workers’ Party of Korea declared flood-recovery work to be a top priority at a party meeting in late July.
As a result, the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army assigned students of the graduating class of Kim Il Sung University of Politics to the flood-relief work in Soho village, Uiju county, North Pyongan province. The mobilized students are expected to bring all their personal belongings, including work clothes, the source said.
“The students of the university are more used to studying in the classroom, so they are asking their parents for daily necessities, money and visits now that they’re working in the field. Their parents also feel sorry for their children and eagerly visit their work sites to provide financial support,” the source said.
One mother takes out loans to provide gifts to her child
The source said that at first it was mostly parents of students from nearby areas, such as Uiju county and Sinuiju, who visited to bring personal items and work supplies. But other jealous students began calling their own parents, and this month even parents from distant parts of the country have been visiting in what has apparently become a highly competitive atmosphere.
“One day we had visits from three different families. One struggling mother took out loans to buy various supplies and even brought a pig she’d been raising. But she left feeling disappointed because her gifts were the least impressive of the lot,” the source said.