N. Korea sends workers suffering from mental disorders back home ... - DailyNK
A North Korean passenger train arrived in North Korea last Thursday, the first time passenger train service has been resumed in three years and seven months. On Monday, a source inside China told Daily NK that the train was carrying hundreds of North Koreans workers.
The passenger train arrived in Sinuiju after departing from Dandong at around 10:30 AM on Thursday and had seven cars, including six passenger cars and a single cargo car, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
The source said that the train was carrying about 300 North Korean laborers who had been working throughout China and that most of the workers on the train were classified as having mental health-related problems.
Mental disorders skyrocket during COVID-19 period
After China intensified COVID-19 quarantine protocols, North Korean workers spent long periods confined to their dormitories and workplaces. Under these conditions, many people complained of serious psychiatric disorders.
"Factories with 150 to 200 North Korean workers had, on average, five or six employees suffering from psychiatric disorders. It was such a serious problem that separate personnel were assigned to manage them," the source said. "These people could not work normally due to symptoms of psychiatric issues such as depression, bipolar disorder, lack of appetite and sleeping problems."
Managers of the workers tried hard to prevent suicides, and made other efforts to ensure workers suffering from mental issues were cared for. There was even a case where three or four workers had to force another worker to eat.
Daily NK reported last year that more and more North Korean workers in China were receiving psychological treatment for serious depression and lethargy.
Last year, a suicide attempt at one factory led managers to take workers suffering from mental disorders to Chinese hospitals for treatment.
Their treatment did not last long, however, as the workers lacked money to pay hospital fees and also refused to continue treatment. In fact, most North Korean workers avoid getting treatment for fear of suffering social disadvantages should others learn that they were diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder or have taken medications.
The North Korean authorities appear to have responded to the growing problem of mental disorders among workers in China by repatriating some of them last week.
Gradual repatriation of workers from China
North Korean authorities also repatriated about 200 workers from China by bus on Thursday.
"The plan is to gradually repatriate North Korean workers from China by the end of the year," the source told Daily NK. "Because there were so many workers in China, it'll probably take a while for them to replace everyone."
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
Daily NK works with a network of sources who live inside North Korea, China and elsewhere. Their identities remain anonymous due to security concerns. More information about Daily NK's reporting partner network and information gathering activities can be found on our FAQ page here.
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