The silk road to socialism
North Korea mill workers produce 200 tonnes a year
PYONGYANG // As the morning light poured through large windows, women wearing olive- coloured overalls, pink aprons and headscarves stood at stations where silkworms were being boiled.
Some used their bare hands to pull silk thread from the boilers and winced as the steam rose towards their faces.
But the heat did not seem to slow them down.
The Kim Jong- suk silk mill, named after the grandmother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is where 1,600 workers – mostly women – sort and process silkworms. The worms, from the coun- tryside in South Pyongan province, produce silk thread that officials at the Pyongyang factory say is made into about 200 tonnes of silk a year.
Seen prominently on a redand-white sign hanging above a main corridor was a propaganda slogan: “Let us step up the victorious advancement of socialism through self-development.” Lining the walkway were names of supervisors and workers who were leading teams, placed as a form of encouragement for the workers.
In his New Year’s address, Mr Kim called on the North Korean people to step up production in order to raise the nation’s standard of living, which is among the lowest in Asia.
Mr Kim visited the silk mill this month.
During that time, the temperature outside was minus 6°C but there was little heating in the high-ceilinged building.
And although it was noisy – from the machinery and from loudspeakers blasting propaganda music – no one seemed to be wearing earplugs.
Groups of 8 to 10 women stood before heavy machinery along the processing line, sorting out silkworms as they were being washed and later boiled. In another room, women examined sheets of unfinished silk with tweezers, looking for impurities as a glowing tabletop illuminated their faces.
The mill was proud to showcase its “sci-tech centre”, where workers could take classes conducted on an intranet system.
It also boasted a childcare centres where 200 children were enrolled while their mothers worked at the factory.