Deciphering reports of North Korean workers’ strike in Chinese textile factories



Analysis Deciphering reports of North Korean workers’ strike in Chinese textile factories Experts weigh in on whether large-scale action took place and how years of unpaid wages could have sparked a backlash Ifang Bremer \| Lina Park January 29, 2024 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Factory workers in Nampho, North Korea \| Image: NK News (April 2018) Thousands of North Koreans working in the Chinese textile industry went on strike and rioted to demand unpaid wages this month, a defector in South Korea and a prominent think tank recently claimed in media reports. But experts connected to the region and familiar with North Korean international labor have seen no proof of a collective revolt in recent weeks, and NK News found little more than circumstantial evidence pointing to any sort of worker unrest in northeast China. The alleged strike was first reported by Koh Young-hwan, a North Korean defector and a special adviser to unification minister Kim © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update & Podcast Updates Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

Analysis

Deciphering reports of North Korean workers’ strike in Chinese textile factories

Experts weigh in on whether large-scale action took place and how years of unpaid wages could have sparked a backlash

Ifang Bremer | Lina Park January 29, 2024

Deciphering reports of North Korean workers’ strike in Chinese textile factories

Factory workers in Nampho, North Korea | Image: NK News (April 2018)

Thousands of North Koreans working in the Chinese textile industry went on strike and rioted to demand unpaid wages this month, a defector in South Korea and a prominent think tank recently claimed in media reports.

But experts connected to the region and familiar with North Korean international labor have seen no proof of a collective revolt in recent weeks, and NK News found little more than circumstantial evidence pointing to any sort of worker unrest in northeast China.

The alleged strike was first reported by Koh Young-hwan, a North Korean defector and a special adviser to unification minister Kim

About the Authors

Ifang Bremer

Ifang Bremer is a former Seoul Correspondent at NK News. He has worked on investigations for The Guardian and The Observer and previously wrote features on Korea for Dutch newspaper NRC.

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Lina Park

Lina Park is the Digital Communications and Events Manager at Korea Risk Group. She previously worked at the Business and Finance desk of The Korea Herald and as a news trainee at NK News. Her past research experience includes work on North Korean human rights at HanVoice and South Korea’s foreign relations at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

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