North Korean Workers at Chinese COVID-19 Protective Gear Factories... "Exploited Like Modern-Day Slaves"

[Image source = Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] It has been revealed that personal protective equipment (PPE) imported by various countries to cope with the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is actually produced as a result of harsh labor conditions endured by hundreds of North Korean workers. In particular, it has come to light that the majority of the income generated by these workers is taken by the North Korean authorities, raising concerns that this may constitute a violation of UN sanctions.

On the 20th (local time), the British daily The Guardian reported that hundreds of North Korean workers are operating under harsh conditions akin to "modern-day slavery," and that transactions with these factories may have violated UN sanctions against North Korea.

The UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has imported hundreds of thousands of full-body protective suits produced at several factories in Dandong, China, to respond to COVID-19. It was revealed that North Korean workers were employed at these factories.

The North Korean workers involved in production were mostly women, working 18 hours a day without breaks, continuously monitored, and not allowed to leave the factory at will. It is also reported that 70% of their wages were taken by the North Korean authorities.

A representative of the Dandong factory stated, "North Korean workers are earning money for the state under the control of the North Korean authorities," adding, "They have no days off and cannot go outside."

Meanwhile, the United Nations views the export of North Korean workers as government-led forced labor and prohibits it as a crime against humanity involving inhumane human rights violations. The purpose of UN sanctions is to block North Korea's foreign currency earnings to prevent the development of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

However, according to this report, by importing protective equipment from the Dandong factory in China, the UK government indirectly supports the North Korean Kim Jong-un regime with taxpayers' money.

Meanwhile, this import of protective equipment was carried out as part of a supply contract between the DHSC and Unispace Global.

The UK government established a PPE supply plan after the COVID-19 outbreak, and Unispace Global became a major supplier.

When this company contracts with Chinese trading firms, those firms subcontract production to two factories in Dandong where North Korean workers are deployed.

This method is not unique to the UK government. In April, full-body protective suit packaging boxes imported from Italy were found to bear the factory mark of a Dandong factory in China.

It has also been confirmed that South Africa, the United States, Germany, South Korea, and Japan placed orders. Two other factories in Dandong employing North Korean workers reportedly exported protective equipment to the US and the Philippines.

North Korea-China flags displayed in the Dandong area [Photo by Yonhap News]

For years, clothing factories in Dandong near the Yalu River have employed North Korean workers to produce goods. China benefits from cheap labor, and the North Korean regime earns millions of dollars in foreign currency, aligning their mutual interests.

Moreover, when the COVID-19 outbreak occurred earlier this year, clothing factories in Dandong upgraded their facilities to produce protective equipment. Thanks to their swift response, 14 companies in Dandong alone were registered as PPE manufacturers with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

As a result, hundreds of North Korean workers have been working under harsh conditions in Chinese factories producing protective equipment. According to the Dandong local government, over 21 million pieces of protective equipment were produced from January to June.

Additionally, although documents state that North Korean workers receive 2,200 to 2,800 yuan per month (approximately 374,000 to 476,000 KRW), it is reported that only a very small portion of this amount is actually paid to the workers.

Phil Bloomer, Executive Director of the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, criticized, "Governments should not enter contracts using emergency procurement regulations without assessing the risks to workers involved in producing personal protective equipment," adding, "This ultimately leads to labor exploitation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.