October 5, 2017

The workers wake up each morning on metal bunk beds in fluorescent-lit Chinese dormitories, North Koreans outsourced by their government to process seafood that ends up in American stores and homes.

Privacy is forbidden. They cannot leave their compounds without permission. They must take the few steps to the factories in pairs or groups, with North Korean minders ensuring no one strays. They have no access to telephones or email. And they are paid a fraction of their salaries, while the rest – as much as 70 per cent – is taken by North Korea’s government.

This means Americans buying salmon for dinner at Walmart or Aldi may inadvertently have subsidised the North Korean government as it builds its nuclear weapons programme. Their purchases may also have supported what the United States calls “modern day slavery” – even if the jobs are highly coveted by North Koreans.

Read more:

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2114123/north-korean-workers-prep-seafood-china-goes-us-stores?utm_source=Direct