Usually the term “Made in China” is synonymous with apparel but “Made in Korea”– that’s both extremely rare and in some cases– violates international human rights framework. Yet somehow, the Australian-based apparel company Rip Curl allowed one of its subcontractors to do exactly that and now they are paying the price for utilizing what many refer to as “slave labor” reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
The original story, which was published by Fairfax Media Limited, shows damning photos of Korean laborers manufacturing winter outwear with the Rip Curl logo clearly displayed. Australian Nik Halik took the pictures while on tour of a state-run facility last year. During the tour, Halik managed to snap a few photos of the process while his tour guide wasn’t paying attention. In addition to the garments being fashioned in North Korean factories, false labels displaying “Made in China” were also attached to the garments in order to cover up the product’s origin.
See the pictures here:Â Surf clothing label Rip Curl using ‘slave labour’ to manufacture clothes in North Korea
So far, Rip Curl has taken full blame for what they are referring to as a “screw up” on the company’s facebook page. Rip Curl CEO, Tony Roberts commented on the mistake saying, “This was a case of a supplier diverting part of their production order to an unauthorised subcontractor, with the production done from an unauthorised factory, in an unauthorised country, without our knowledge or consent, in clear breach of our supplier terms and policies.”
Folly later added “We do not approve or authorise any production of Rip Curl products out of North Korea.”
In the meantime, some of the North Korean made garments have made their way into the hands of Rip Curl customers. Those customers remain uncertain as to whether their garments are the product of North Korean slave labor or not.
Rip Curl’s Apology
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