By Robert Neff
Rae and Betty Woodford in 1924 at the OCMC. Courtesy of the Lower Family
Lois Marshall ― date unknown. Wikipedia imageLife at the Oriental Consolidated Mining Company s [OCMC] gold mining camps in northern Korea could be extremely difficult ― especially for families. It was an isolated region with little interaction with the outside world leaving the mining community no other option but to entertain itself.
As in any small community, there was an over-familiarity with one another that was perpetuated by busybodies and their petty ― but sometimes lascivious ― gossip, biases and jealousies. There were arguments, fist fights, cheating, broken marriages, suicides and even murders at the mines ― likely caused by the boredom and depression of living in such a closed community.