The economic crisis and difficulties in obtaining a living in North Korea cause many Koreans, including women, to resort to dangerous ways of making a living. Working in gold mines is one of them. For many people in the provinces, it is one of the few jobs available. The work is not only hard, but also prone to accidents, especially since mine managers do not particularly care about safety measures. According to Daily NK's source, people are desperate, trying to get money even for food.
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North Korea. Tragic accident in the mine
Most of the people working in gold mines are men, but recently the percentage of women employed in the mining industry has also been increasing. Such work has many advantages for North Koreans. It does not require capital investment, employees receive food and remuneration for each day of work. There are no age restrictions – both young people and those aged 50-60 are eligible for employment.
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As reported by Daily NK, on October 20, a shaft collapsed in a gold mine in Hoechang County (southern part of the country), killing three people, including a young, divorced mother of a 3-year-old. It is not known what will happen to the child. “Everyone is devastated because many children die of hunger here, even when their mothers are alive, so it is difficult to imagine what will happen to a child who has lost his mother,” emphasizes the Daily NK source.
According to the website, such accidents happen quite often here. Mine workers must take care of their own safety, because the managers of such enterprises often limit themselves to the slogan “be careful” and employ as many people as possible to ensure the highest possible extraction results.
