Thousands of North Koreans are being sent to work in distressing conditions in Russia as Moscow grapples with a significant labor shortage due to its ongoing war in Ukraine. According to reports, over 50,000 North Korean workers are expected to arrive, filling roles left vacant by Russian men either lost in battle or having fled the conflict.
Eyewitness accounts from North Korean escapees reveal shocking details about their experiences. Six laborers, who recently fled Russia, described sufferings akin to slavery, working over 18 hours a day on construction sites with minimal breaks. Risks include dangerous work environments and lack of medical care. One laborer described having fallen from a building site and being denied medical assistance, while others reported being beaten for minor infractions or falling asleep on the job.
In the past, North Koreans’ labor abroad provided significant revenue to Kim Jong Un’s regime, but sanctions imposed by the UN in 2019 curtailed this influx. However, recent intelligence indicates that North Korea is circumventing these restrictions with a renewed surge of laborers, allegedly for large-scale construction, clothing factories, and IT centers in Russia.
Despite hopes of better earnings abroad, North Korean workers often find themselves trapped, earning significantly less than their counterparts from other nations. Most of their pay is retained by the North Korean state as “loyalty fees,” leaving mere fractions for the workers themselves. Some responded to these desperate conditions by attempting risky escapes, often aided by smuggled phones.
As the North Korean government intensifies control measures to prevent further defections, reports indicate the number of successful escapes to South Korea has halved since 2022. Experts predict that this tragic cycle of exploitation and control will continue amid the ongoing tumult in Eastern Europe, marking a dark chapter in Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin's wartime partnership.
