It has been discovered that Australian based surfwear company Rip Curl has sold winter outerwear manufactured in "slave-like" conditions in a North Korea clothing factory. In a Fairfax Media investigation it was discovered that Taedonggang Clothing Factory, which is located 30 km outside the capital of Pyongyang, was contracted to make parts of Rip Curl's 2015 winter clothing line.
The clothing was shipped around the world to retailers, with garments manufactured in North Korea labeled "Made in China". The company's CFO, Tony Roberts released the following statement when approached by the media.
"We were aware of this issue, which related to our Winter 2015 Mountain-wear range, but only became aware of it after the production was complete and had been shipped to our retail customers. This was a case of a supplier diverting part of their production order to an unauthorized subcontractor, with the production done from an unauthorized factory, in an unauthorized country, without our knowledge or consent, in clear breach of our supplier terms and policies."
"We do not approve or authorize any production of Rip Curl products out of North Korea."
It is unclear if Rip Curl tried to contact consumers who had bought garments made in North Korea. Regardless, it is irresponsible of the company to have so little control over their supply chains.
The issue was brought to light by Nik Halik, an Australian adventurer and businessman, who secretly photographed the garment's while in North Korea last July. He was able to capture the "Made in China" labels while his government guide was distracted.
Work conditions in North Korea are notoriously awful, and have lead to human rights violations from NGOs, including the Human Rights Watch. Employees are forced to work long days with little to no pay. According to defectors, workers who do not obey orders are often imprisoned in work camps.
About The Author
stash member Jonathan Desabris
Digital Content Producer at TGR. Jackson Hole transplant from the Green Mountain State. Contrary to popular belief I have never lived in New Jersey.