In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea where the working people are the masters of the state and society and everything serves them, their human rights are guaranteed by law.

First of all, people choose their occupations according to their wishes and talents, and are provided with stable jobs and working conditions by the state.

The Socialist Labour Law of the DPRK enacted in April Juche 67 (1978) stipulates that the state regards it as the supreme principle of its activities to take responsibility for the livelihood of all working people and enhance the level of their material and cultural standards steadily. Besides remuneration for their work, working people receive a number of additional benefits from the state and society, including provision of modern dwelling houses, supply of foods, upbringing and education of their children at the expense of the state and society, and enforcement of free compulsory education, social insurance and security systems, and free medical service.

Dwelling houses are provided gratis to such ordinary working people as weavers and teachers, and all people enjoy themselves at well-furnished sanatoriums, holiday camps and other bases for cultural and leisure activities.

Distance learning is available wherever there are working people.

Factory college, farm college and other educational bases can be found in different parts of the country that has established a well-knit study-while-you-work system.

Here technical personnel are trained to be possessed of modern science and technology and technical skills of their sectors, and they are giving full play to their talents through labour. This is attributable to the labour law, which stipulates that the state shall provide working people with all conditions to study while working through the advanced educational system and the people-oriented educational policy.

The law on labour protection adopted in July Juche 99 (2010) also stipulates that institutions, enterprises and organizations concerned shall have such public service amenities as a hostel, dining hall, wash-cum-bath room, barber shop, lounge, nursery and kindergarten, and run them regularly.

In addition, many laws related to the people’s living, including the emergency anti-epidemic law, the law on providing living conditions for discharged officers, the law on prevention of air pollution, the law on environmental protection, the law on socialist rural development and the law on spring water management, have been adopted to fully guarantee their interests and rights.

In particular, human rights of children and the persons with disabilities are fully ensured by the law on nursing and upbringing of children, the law on providing children’s rights, the law on childcare, and the law on ensuring the rights of the disabled.

Under the people-centred socialist system which prioritizes and absolutizes the interests and convenience of the people, the Korean people are enjoying genuine political, social, economic and cultural rights to their heart’s content.

Yang Ryon Hui