Wonsan’s young workers choose bicycle deliveries over state assignments despite forced labor threats – DailyNK

Report on Labor Practices and Sustainable Development Goal Challenges in Wonsan, North Korea

1.0 Introduction

An investigation has been ordered by the Socialist Patriotic Youth League’s central committee into the labor practices of its members in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area. This report analyzes the situation through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting significant challenges related to poverty, decent work, and institutional justice.

2.0 Analysis of Labor Conditions and SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The core of the issue lies in the conflict between state-assigned labor and the need for individual economic survival, which directly impacts the achievement of SDG 8.

• Lack of Decent Work: State-assigned workplaces in the Wonsan tourist zone reportedly fail to provide salaries or rations. This contravenes the principles of “decent work for all” (SDG 8), as the employment does not offer a productive or fair income.
• Rise of Informal Employment: In response, youth are engaging in informal sector activities, such as bicycle-based goods transport and motorcycle taxi services. While this demonstrates entrepreneurship, it occurs outside formal structures and protections.
• Violation of SDG Target 8.7: The central committee has ordered that members who shirk state-assigned duties be punished with forced labor. This directive is a severe violation of SDG Target 8.7, which calls for immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor and modern slavery.

3.0 Socio-Economic Drivers and SDG 1: No Poverty

The actions of the youth in Wonsan are primarily driven by economic necessity, a direct reflection of challenges related to SDG 1 (No Poverty).

1. Poverty as a Primary Motivator: Local sources indicate a prevailing belief that adherence to assigned state employment leads to starvation. The pursuit of private business is described as a fundamental survival strategy to escape extreme poverty.
2. Obstruction of Economic Self-Sufficiency: By cracking down on these informal economic activities without providing viable alternatives, the state is actively obstructing a key pathway for citizens to secure a basic livelihood and move out of poverty.

4.0 Institutional Response and Implications for SDG 16 & SDG 10

The official response from the Youth League highlights critical deficiencies in governance and justice, undermining SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

• Failure of Institutions (SDG 16): The institutional response is punitive rather than supportive. Instead of addressing the systemic failure of state enterprises to provide for workers, the authorities are focusing on investigations and punishments. This approach fails to build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions.
• Exacerbation of Inequality (SDG 10): The policy creates a stark inequality between the state’s demands for revolutionary duty and the individual’s fundamental right to economic survival. It penalizes those attempting to overcome economic distress, thereby widening the gap between state rhetoric and the lived reality of its citizens.

5.0 Conclusion

The situation in Wonsan demonstrates a significant disconnect between state labor policies and the basic economic needs of the population. The official response, characterized by threats of forced labor, represents a severe regression from the principles enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those concerning the eradication of poverty (SDG 1) and the provision of decent work (SDG 8).

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 1: No Poverty – The article highlights extreme economic distress, where young people must engage in private business to survive because their state-assigned jobs do not provide basic necessities like food or income, directly linking to the goal of eradicating poverty.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – This is the most central SDG, as the article discusses the lack of decent work (jobs with no pay), youth unemployment in the formal sector, the rise of informal work, and the state’s use of forced labor as punishment.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – The state’s response to the economic issue is punitive rather than supportive. The order to use “forced labor” as punishment for not working in non-paying jobs demonstrates a failure of just institutions and the rule of law.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour…

   The article directly connects to this target by stating that the KSYL’s central committee ordered that young people who shirk their assigned work “be punished with forced labor.” This is a direct implementation of forced labor by a state institution, which is the opposite of the target’s goal of eradication.

2. Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all…

   The situation described is a clear failure to provide decent work. The article notes that young people are abandoning their assigned posts because the workplaces “provide neither rations nor salaries.” This lack of remuneration for labor is a fundamental violation of the principles of decent work, forcing workers to seek alternative, informal employment to survive.

3. Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all…

   The state-assigned jobs, which should function as part of a social system, fail to provide any protection. The article quotes residents complaining that blindly showing up to work “amounts to torture” when there are no rations or salaries. This indicates a complete collapse of the social protection floor for these workers, leaving them vulnerable to extreme poverty.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Prevalence of Forced Labour

   The article implies a direct indicator for Target 8.7. Progress could be measured by tracking the number of individuals sentenced to or undergoing forced labor as punishment for not reporting to their state-assigned workplaces. The state’s official order to use this punishment makes it a measurable, albeit negative, indicator.

2. Proportion of Youth in Decent Work

   The article implies several indicators for Target 8.5. One is the proportion of the youth workforce in state-assigned jobs receiving zero wages or in-kind payments (rations). The statement that workplaces provide “neither rations nor salaries” suggests this proportion is very high. Another implied indicator is the proportion of youth engaged in the informal sector (e.g., private transport, delivery) as their primary means of income, which the article states has “noticeably risen.”

3. Coverage of Social Protection Systems

   For Target 1.3, the article implies an indicator related to the effectiveness of social safety nets. Progress could be measured by the percentage of the employed population whose state-provided job includes basic social protections such as a living wage or food rations. The article suggests this coverage is effectively zero for the youth in Wonsan’s tourist zone.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: dailynk.com