{
  "id": 6428034,
  "title": "University mobilizes students to dig trenches for campus intranet",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/university-mobilizes-students-to-dig-trenches-for-campus-intranet",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T13:38:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily NK",
    "slug": "daily-nk",
    "url": "https://www.dailynk.com/english/north-korea-university-student-mobilization-intranet/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In late August 2026, a university in the Hungnam district of Hamhung city, South Hamgyong province, called upon its students to participate in a three-day trench-digging project. The university aimed to lay communication cables for a new campus intranet, connecting the central information technology office to every building on campus.\n\nFor three days, students packed lunches and reported to the work site each day, eager to complete their assigned sections and possibly earn a rare day off. The university divided the digging work by class, assigning each group a specific section to complete within a set period. The results of the labor were factored into each class's overall evaluation, creating a fierce competition among students to finish their sections first.\n\nSchool officials directly monitored the digging, intensifying the rivalry between classes. The first class to finish their section was praised as having strong \"combat capability,\" a term used by North Korean authorities to describe disciplined and effective units.\n\nWhile students understood the need for the new intranet and its practical benefits, many privately resented having to perform the physical labor themselves. Some even wished to hire day laborers, but university administrators refused, insisting the work had to be handled internally due to the project's location on campus grounds.\n\nThe refusal to hire external labor fueled complaints among students, who questioned why they had to dig the trenches for a project meant to benefit the entire school. Despite these grievances, the project demonstrated the extent to which students were expected to contribute to their university, turning finishing the work into a collective responsibility rather than an individual burden.",
  "summary": "A university in Hungnam district in Hamhung city, South Hamgyong province, mobilized students for three days of trench-digging work in late August 2026. The students were tasked with burying communication cables for a new campus intranet network. The source told Daily NK on Friday that the university began mobilizing students on Aug. 25 to dig […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}