State-sponsored construction projects are underway across North Pyongan province. Sinuiju city, Uiju county, and Yomju county host multiple building sites simultaneously. Soldiers and labor brigades are constructing large greenhouses in Sinuiju and Uiju. A vegetable science research center is also rising in the same area. Flood barriers continue going up in regions still recovering from heavy flooding last July. Meanwhile, factories are being built in neighboring Yomju county as part of North Korea’s 20×10 regional development policy.
The ongoing need to feed all these mobilized workers has created intense pressure on supply officers. Logistics officials must provide food and daily necessities to every construction site. They visit local farms and warehouses carrying supply vouchers from their superiors. Vegetables, soap, and other essential items top their collection lists. However, these supplies remain extremely scarce throughout the entire province. When logistics officials scramble to grab materials, they often find that colleagues have already cleaned out the warehouses.
A source in the province provided insight into this competitive system. The marshal once said that logistics is politics, the source recalled. There is a strong tendency here to emphasize how important logistics officials truly are. When food and other materials run short, these officers take vouchers from their bosses. They then go around to farms and warehouses collecting whatever supplies they can find.
There is a popular saying that those who make rice cake get to eat rice cake. Many people assume that handling food and supplies brings personal profit. Consequently, others feel jealous of logistics officers and see their jobs as cushy. However, the reality looks very different from this popular perception. These people are always running around frantically without rest. Even when logistics officers bring valid vouchers, their warehouse visits often become pointless. Other officers may have already taken everything available. They can try going elsewhere for alternative sources. Nevertheless, they must sit around and wait unless they offer bribes. Using personal connections can speed up the process significantly.
The source noted that summer brings especially stressful conditions for these officers. Their superiors constantly pressure them to prepare hearty meals for workers. Cooling snacks also become essential when temperatures rise during summer months. These provisions keep construction workers motivated when their energy drops. Construction workers sweating in blazing sun and humid weather have it very tough. However, logistics officers put in surprising effort to source food and other necessities. When logistics officials scramble to meet summer demands, they face their toughest challenges of the year.
Everyone focuses on their own struggles under this unreasonable system. The system expects people to complete their jobs without any real support. Logistics officers say sourcing food is especially stressful in summer. That is when their superiors constantly pressure them to prepare hearty meals. Cooling snacks help keep workers motivated when their energy drops in the heat. Obviously, construction workers sweating in blazing sun have it tough. But logistics officers put in surprising effort to source food for those workers. When logistics officials scramble in this environment, they receive little recognition for their efforts. The unreasonable system expects everyone to complete jobs without adequate support. Nevertheless, construction continues across North Pyongan province as planned.
