{"id":2335,"date":"2016-05-24T16:29:49","date_gmt":"2016-05-24T07:29:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang-2\/2016\/05\/report\/20160524_party-convention-consensus\/"},"modified":"2021-06-25T17:33:39","modified_gmt":"2021-06-25T08:33:39","slug":"20160524_party-convention-consensus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2016\/05\/news\/20160524_party-convention-consensus\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N.Korea\uff1e Government Evaluation of 70 Day-Battle Leads to Nervous Officials - Punishment of Poor Achievement and Secret Drinking,"},"content":{"rendered":"

The recent the Worker`s that ended May 9 caused strain and exhaustion for North Koreans. Some officials may now face severe punishment and ideological criticism at the Saenghwal Chonghwa<\/em> (a meeting during which participants are required to criticize each other\u2019s shortcomings). Ordinary citizens are also reported to be concerned about possible repercussions<\/strong> following the Congress. ASIAPRESS spoke to one of our reporting partners in North Korea regarding the fallout. (Kang Ji-won)<\/p>\n

\"A

A political study meeting in a local town. Attendees at this meeting discussed loyalty to Kim Jong-un. Taken in summer of 2013, ASIA PRESS.<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reporting partner \u2018A\u2019, in northern North Korea reported: \u201cParticipants at the Worker`s are now expected to take part in government organized \u2018evaluation meetings of the 70-day battle\u2019, along with an \u2018ideological struggle\u2019 for Party officials. Subsequently, officials are nervous at the possibility that they are facing demotion or dismissal.\u201d<\/p>\n

The productivity enhancement movement, officially referred to as \u201c70-day battle\u201d, started on February 24, before what was the first Worker\u2019s Party Congress in 36 years. All workplaces - factories, farms, and power plants - were mobilized in order to achieve the tasks set by the government.. Workers were required to work long hours and were sometimes forced to sleep in the workplace.<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u201970-day battle\u2019 ended on May 2 and was immediately followed by a special state vigilance period. The government evaluation of the mobilization period has not yet started. It will be held when participants return to their home provinces from Pyongyang.<\/p>\n

Harsh punishment ordered for officials celebrating birthday party<\/h2>\n

\u201cOfficials facing punishment for organizing a birthday party, drinking, and neglecting their duties. Officials in the crosshairs of the crackdown are facing expulsion from the Party and dismissal from their positions,\u201d ASIAPRESS reporting partner, \u2018A\u2019 said.<\/p>\n

But another reporting partner, \u2018B\u2019 questioned the excessiveness of this punishment: \u201cPeople are saying that the officials caught drinking will be dismissed. But it\u2019s excessive to punish \u2018drinking\u2019, even during the battle period.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"A

A real \u2018Life diary\u2019 introduced for self-criticism at Chonghwa meetings (monitored meetings). Acquired in 2015 (height 16cm, width 12cm)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2018A\u2019 reporting partner explained that the National Security Agency (secret police) and Security Forces (police) were leading the investigation into officials drinking. He explained: \u201cThe Chief of the People\u2019s Committee in X city held a birthday party in his home during the 70-day battle. While they were singing and dancing the Inminban (a government neighborhood watch organization in North Korea) reported them and the National Security Agency arrived to investigate.\u201d<\/p>\n

 \u2018Ideological struggle for ordinary people, too<\/h2>\n

\u2018A\u2019 reporting partner reported: \u201cDuring the 70-day battle , state monitored meetings went ahead, focusing on maintaining ideological order among ordinary citizens. For each meeting, a 1,000 won \u2018deposit\u2019 was exacted from participants. Those that didn\u2019t pay were targeted for criticism during the meetings. People are nervous, they say that more people didn\u2019t pay the \u2018deposit\u2019 than did and they are worried about the backlash.\u201d<\/p>\n

A number of officials were punished for drinking or inappropriate behavior following the death of Kim Il-sung in 1994. People expect that a similar level of punishment will be imposed during the monitored meetings for the Worker`s party Congress and the 70-day battle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout 2016, ordinary North Koreans have endured various kinds of forced labor like \u2018the 70-day battle\u2019 and study meetings. These were in preparation of the Worker`s Party Congress. Yet another state demand is required of North Koreans, the so-called \u2018Chonghwa\u2019: \u2018monitored meeting\u2019.<\/p>\n

Kim Jong-un repeatedly emphasized the importance of creating a better life for the people in his recent Party address. But ordinary North Koreans continue to live a hardscrabble existence with little hope for real improvement in their living conditions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Rimjingang_banner001\"<\/a>* Editor\u2019s notes on North Korean reporters<\/a>
\n<\/a><\/strong><\/span>ARCHIVE(pdf) >><\/a><\/span>
\n DPRK MAP >><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The recent the Worker`s that ended May 9 caused strain and exhaustion for North Koreans. Some officials may now face sev\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3601,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[7,12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2335"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}