North Korea orders workers to start at 5am due to heatwave

North Korean employees have been forced to start work at 5am due to unworkable heat, sources have said.

Sambok, the name attributed to the peak of Korean summer, began on Monday. The average summer temperature in Pyongyang is 29C. World Weather and Climate says that humidity rates of 80% are normal throughout July and August.

According to source speaking to Daily NK, Sambok was welcomed with an announcement: “With the start of Sambok, which marks the three hottest days of the summer, all central agencies in Pyongyang and other offices and schools nationwide have been ordered to follow the Sambok schedule. Because of this, all operations now start at 5am instead of the usual 8, and end at 1pm.”

The schedule was introduced by former leader Kim Jong-Il at the turn of the century. Those who work at central agencies, party offices, or at state-owned companies have the luxury of air conditioning.