Women in North Korea’s coal country are furious about being forced to scavenge for coal fragments in freezing temperatures as part of a national production drive.
According to a source in South Pyongan province, local chapters of the Socialist Women’s Union of Korea are mobilizing members to collect coal around mines operated by the Tokchon Coal Mine Company. The effort is part of the Socialist Patriotic Drive to Increase Coal Production, a nationwide campaign aimed at boosting coal output to supply major companies under the country’s “20×10 regional development policy.”
Coal producers, desperate to inflate their production numbers, have resorted to having women’s union members sweep up coal dust. “Women around the Chenam Coal Mine are out there digging through dirt, searching for fallen coal near railroad tracks and storage yards,” the source said.
The Chenam Coal Mine, one of Tokchon’s six major operations, is known for producing high-quality anthracite, or hard coal. But even its substantial output isn’t enough to meet the demands of North Korea’s power plants, especially during winter when coal consumption spikes.
In a questionable attempt to address the shortfall, local women’s union committees are pressing members into service collecting stray coal pieces and dust. These meager gatherings are being celebrated as “beautiful examples” of patriotic contribution and counted toward official production quotas.
The collected fragments, mixed with dirt and debris, are sent to welfare hospitals and dormitories, but they’re proving virtually useless as fuel. “It’s hardly even coal – you can’t start a proper fire with it, let alone generate electricity,” the source said. “It’s absurd to count this as production when it can’t even function as real coal.”
One sports club that received a delivery of these coal fragments found their boilers repeatedly failing, leaving students shivering in unheated facilities.
The women forced into this task are increasingly vocal about their frustration. “They’re out there in the bitter cold, chipping away at frozen ground to collect what amounts to coal powder,” the source said. “They’re angry at their union managers and can’t understand why they’re wasting time gathering useless coal dust.”
