A North Korean female worker dispatched to

China has been forcibly repatriated after receiving an emergency operation for

appendicitis, according to a source close to the matter in China.

“A woman in her 20s working at a company in

Shenyang, China suddenly got appendicitis and had to receive surgery at a

hospital,” she told the Daily NK on Monday. “The repatriation is because she

received treatment at a hospital that was not approved by the State Security

Department [SSD], and may have come in contact with the ‘outside world,’ which

goes against the rules.”

Female workers in their 20s sent to areas

like Shenyang and Dandong in China to procure foreign currency for the North

are strictly forbidden from venturing outside of their workplaces or dorms

without permission from the SSD. Even when granted approval, they go out exclusively in groups of three.

This measure aims to preclude the chances

of contact with South Korean or American missionaries– who often proselytize

in the region and sometimes aid in defections–while outside of their

designated work location.

The source explained that women are granted

the opportunity to go out once every other week in their approved groups. All

other routine activities are also conducted in the presence of the same group

to foster an inter-worker monitoring system. If workers engage in individual

activities for more than 30 minutes, a “self-criticism” session is the only way

to avert penalization.

“The SSD likely brought the patient back for

interrogation as she may have been exposed to ‘outside forces’ [such as

missionaries] while receiving treatment at a hospital unregistered with the

North’s security bodies,” the source asserted, noting that contact with

Christianity is considered a political crime, as is meeting a South Korean.

Those exposed to such elements are punished

accordingly, explaining the extreme precautionary measures carried out by the

SSD. Unsurprisingly, workers are strictly prohibited from possessing mobile phones, the source

said.

She went on to explain that the female worker had little to no control on how the situation unfolded. “The woman suddenly experienced stomach

pain, and the Chinese owner [of her workplace] called an ambulance to get her

to a hospital to prevent the situation from becoming worse,” she said. “After receiving surgery,

the worker was able to stay at the hospital thanks to the company owner who

paid for the medical costs.”

“SSD officials, discovering this several

days later, went to the hospital to check the woman’s medical records and

berated the owner for not reporting the incident ahead of time,” the source

explained. The owner reportedly engaged in a heated argument with the

officials, during which he responded, “How am I supposed to think about rules

when a person is on the verge of dying?”

In response, the officials stated, “Even if

they die, they should not be given access to people outside, so send her back

home so that she can die in her homeland,” according the source, who went on to

explain that after the patient’s release, she was repatriated against her will.

“It appears the goal is to make an example

out of her and pressure workers so they understand what happens to them when

they come in contact with ‘outside forces.’” the source said of the female sent

back to North Korea. “This poor worker who has been repatriated is going to

face interrogation by the SSD–its agents questioning her on anything and

everything related to who she met during her hospitalization.”



Despite tight control on the young female workers, the source maintained that

many still come in contact with information on South Korea and demonstrate

envious sentiments toward defectors who make it there.