Moscow is increasingly relying on North Korean workers to make up for a labor shortage exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, South Korean intelligence sources have told the BBC, BTA reports.
Interviews with six defected workers describe extremely harsh conditions, grueling work shifts, strict supervision and meager wages. Upon arrival in Russia, they are escorted by security agents, instructed to avoid contact with outsiders and sent directly to construction sites. The working day can last up to 18 hours - from 6 am to 2 am, with only two days off a year. They are housed in crowded, dirty containers or unfinished buildings, often without heating or medical care.
Testimonies indicate beatings when they try to rest and a lack of protective equipment, including night shifts without lighting. Salaries range from $100 to $200 a month and are only paid upon return to North Korea, with a large portion being withheld as a "loyalty fee" to the state.
Despite a 2019 UN ban on the use of North Korean labor, Russian government data shows that more than 13,000 North Koreans entered the country in 2024, 12 times more than the previous year. Some of them arrive on student visas used to circumvent sanctions. South Korean intelligence estimates that more than 10,000 are already working in Russia, and the number could exceed 50,000.
Most are employed in construction, but also in garment factories and IT centers. In June, Russian Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that 5,000 North Koreans would be sent to rebuild Kursk, and according to South Korean sources, it is "very likely" that some of them will also work in the occupied Ukrainian territories.
Their movements have been strictly restricted since 2023, and they are only allowed to leave in groups of five under constant supervision. They undergo regular ideological training and self-criticism sessions aimed at strengthening loyalty to leader Kim Jong-un.
A few manage to escape, often with the help of banned mobile phones and small savings. Since 2022, the number of North Koreans leaving Russia and reaching South Korea has halved from about 20 to 10 people per year.
Experts predict that the sending of workers will continue after the war ends, becoming a lasting manifestation of the alliance between Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin.