WONSAN, North Korea — The bright red slogans hang from buses, government buildings, and even some restaurants and gas stations, urging North Koreans to work harder to make the country’s 200-day ‘‘speed campaign’’ a success. ‘‘Have you carried out the plan for today?’’ one poster asks.
It’s the second such drive this year, and while outside economists doubt their effectiveness, they reflect leader Kim Jong Un’s desire to energize the country’s sputtering economy. That goal is fettered by international sanctions against Kim’s other main priority, his nuclear program, increasing the pressure on North Koreans to dig themselves out of economic stagnation.
In a collectivist society, slacking off isn’t taken lightly. Least of all now.
‘‘If you look out the window, you won’t see anyone just walking around,’’ said Chang Sun Ho, the manager of a small shoe factory in Wonsan, a port city on North Korea’s east coast. ‘‘Everyone is working.’’
The history of North Korea’s speed campaigns, which were also common in the former Soviet countries and in China, is almost as old as the country.
The nation’s founder, Kim Il Sung, called a major one named after a mythical winged horse that could fly 1,000 ‘‘li’’ (about 400 kilometers) to rebuild the country after the 1950-53 Korean War. The current drive has been dubbed the ‘‘Mallima’’ campaign — suggesting a winged horse that is 10 times faster.
Loading on more work for a national political objective might cause a lot of grumbling or even strikes elsewhere. But in a country where patriotism is strong, perseverance a hallowed virtue, and toeing the official line a key survival strategy, you won’t hear anyone complaining here — at least not publicly.
North Korean officials allowed Associated Press reporters to tour and conduct interviews at the shoe factory, which offers a window into how such campaigns play out on the ground.
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With 220 workers, it produces about 700 pairs of shoes a day — the central government tells them how many to produce. The shoes are distributed to department stores and other places around the country. The factory does not export any of its products, which officials say are made strictly with domestically produced materials and locally made machinery, in keeping with the government philosophy of ‘‘self-reliance.’’
Manager Chang said the factory met its annual production goal several weeks ago, though it is still June.
Kim Jong Un himself visited the factory in November. At his direction, it is now focused on making lighter, better quality shoes and providing a wider variety to make North Korea’s shoe production ‘‘world class.’’
‘‘The marshal has said he has adopted this factory as if it were his own,’’ Chang said, referring to Kim Jong Un by his most commonly used title. ‘‘So it is like we are working for our father. That’s all the motivation we need.’’
Factory officials said they have not hired any extra hands to boost production and they don’t need to resort to monetary rewards or firing threats. The workers get their basic necessities from the government but can receive monthly bonuses if the factory sells more shoes than its government-set target.