Residents of Hyesan, Ryanggang province, tend to be unimpressed with food products made in North Korean factories — but they’re making an exception for the Songdowon Complex Foodstuff Factory, whose products have been earning consistently good reviews.
That praise has fueled rumors that the factory is backed by Chinese investment, as authorities continue rolling out new food factories under the regime’s regional development policy. Some residents, however, are skeptical that these new plants can live up to public expectations without similar outside investment.
A source told Daily NK on Friday that locals speak highly of Songdowon’s candy and other products, and many believe the factory has Chinese backing and even exports some of its goods to China. That, people say, is what sets its quality apart from other food factories in the region.
The source added that Hyesan’s markets currently carry food from factories across the country, alongside Chinese imports and homemade goods.
People favor unpackaged goods over factory products
North Koreans generally prefer unpackaged food sold by weight over standardized, prepackaged factory goods, the source said. Unpackaged items can be bought in units as small as 100 grams, which lets buyers adjust quantity to their budget. Unpackaged goods also tend to cost less.
Factory-made goods briefly drew attention after their packaging design improved. But taste and quality fell short of expectations and demand has gradually declined as a result.
Songdowon’s products are the exception. They continue to sell steadily in the market, and people increasingly attribute the quality gap between factories to how each one is run.
“Among North Koreans who have tried products from multiple factories, many say other factories’ goods are all mediocre, but Songdowon’s are different,” the source said. “Combined with rumors that Songdowon operates with Chinese investment, people are saying quality only changes when Chinese capital gets involved.”
The source said the gap reflects a structural problem, not just differences in equipment or technology. Many North Korean factories simply do not compensate their workers properly.
Factories that receive outside funding reliably provide rations and living costs in exchange for labor, the source said. Factories without that funding often cannot pay workers enough to get by, even when employees work full days. That leaves little incentive for workers to improve product quality.
“Workers struggling to make ends meet think first about pulling a little raw material aside for their own household, rather than about improving product quality,” the source said. The source cited a Korean saying that work seen as someone else’s problem draws no real effort, no matter the season. “Unless factories pay enough in rations or living costs for workers to get by, factory work will keep being treated as someone else’s business. Quality improvements will remain a distant goal.”
The source offered a final assessment. “The state builds new factories every year,” the source said. “But unless it changes its approach and reliably rewards workers for their effort, no amount of new construction will produce goods that satisfy locals.”
Reporting from inside North Korea
Daily NK operates networks of sources inside North Korea who document events in real-time and transmit information through secure channels. Unlike reporting based on state media, satellite imagery, or defector accounts from years past, our journalism comes directly from people currently living under the regime. We verify reports through multiple independent sources and cross-reference details before publication.
Our sources remain anonymous because contact with foreign media is treated as a capital offense in North Korea — discovery means imprisonment or execution. This network-based approach allows Daily NK to report on developments other outlets cannot access: market trends, policy implementation, public sentiment, and daily realities that never appear in official narratives.
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July 28, 2026 at 02:40AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)