The production line at the Taedong River Food Processing Factory in Pyongyang. (Mary)
According to an investigation by Daily NK, as more North Koreans seek work in food processing factories, where food rations and wages are guaranteed, the cost of bribes for such jobs is rising.
“With production at food processing plants booming, factory jobs are becoming more popular and corruption in job placements is worsening,” a Pyongyang source told Daily NK on condition of anonymity on Monday.
Production at the Kumsong food processing factory in Pyongyang's Mangyongdae district has recovered from a slump during the pandemic, and jobs at the factory are now among the most popular among North Koreans, mainly because factory workers have a steady food supply, according to the sources.
The number of people seeking work in food processing factories is on the rise as North Korean authorities call for increased food production to improve the quality of life of their people and factory working conditions have improved as part of the efforts to increase production.
“The Kumsong Food Processing Factory provides a monthly salary of wheat and rice calculated according to the number of family members, as well as side dishes on holidays and during year-end performance evaluations. All factory workers are guaranteed a monthly salary of 300,000 to 400,000 won and the benefits package is also excellent, so everyone wants to work at the factory,” said an official.
Bribery makes hiring easier for factories
North Korean workers have no freedom to choose their own jobs – titles and roles are generally assigned by the government – but bribery and manipulation to get the job of their choice is very common.
People are competing to get into the Kumsong food processing plant by offering bribes due to a recent general improvement in welfare at food processing plants in general, sources said.
“Employees of the Labor Department at the Kumseong Food Processing Plant [which hires ordinary workers without college degrees] “They are blatantly squeezing money out of aspiring workers. Before the pandemic, the bribe for a job here was around $50, but now you have to hand over $150-200 to get in,” the source said.
“Not just the normal labor department, but the hiring department too. [with college degrees] “The factories are making a lot of money. These days, if you want to be a manager in a factory, you're expected to pay $500 to the management recruiting department.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources living in North Korea, China and other regions. For security reasons, the identities of our sources remain anonymous. To learn more about Daily NK's network of reporting partners and intelligence gathering activities, please see our FAQ page here.
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