Mick Hartley

From the Daily NK:

A new investigation reveals that North Korean workers dispatched to Chinese fisheries were forced to surrender 80-90% of their wages to the state, receiving only 10-20% for living expenses. Seafood produced through what amounts to forced labor has been distributed not only to the United States, Canada, and Spain, but also to South Korea through approximately 30 domestic companies, with products sold in major supermarkets and fish markets.

Daily NK’s AND Center presented these findings in a “Report on Forced Labor of North Korean Workers at Chinese Fisheries” at a Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club (SFCC) briefing held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of July 17. Based on testimonies from North Korean workers dispatched overseas, the report highlighted the reality of North Korea’s foreign currency earning operations and loopholes in global supply chains that circumvent sanctions against North Korea.

According to the report, North Korean workers must pay substantial bribes to officials even before being dispatched, and women, in particular, must endure sexual humiliation in exchange for obtaining life evaluation certificates. This demonstrates that worker deployment is far from “voluntary contracts,” with the report defining it as “systematic exploitation” rather than legitimate contracting.

The report noted that human rights conditions deteriorate further after dispatched workers arrive in China. Their passports are immediately confiscated by supervisors, they face 24-hour surveillance in factory dormitories, and strict controls on movement make contact with the outside world virtually impossible.

Workers endure 12-14 hour workdays and routine verbal abuse, the report revealed. Those who attempt to escape face severe punishment if caught, or are forcibly repatriated and subsequently disappear without trace of their fate. This complete deprivation of workers’ freedom to refuse labor constitutes the core requirements of forced labor as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Forced labour – or slave labour. Take your pick.