Thousands of North Korean laborers have been sent to work in punishing conditions in Russia as Moscow’s wartime economy struggles to complete construction projects, a new investigation reports.
According to a BBC probe this week, Russia is facing a massive worker shortage due to the war in Ukraine and has turned to North Korea to fill the gaps. Researchers, South Korean officials and former laborers told the BBC that North Korean workers in Russia are subjected to slavelike conditions with their every move accounted for by authorities.
The ex-laborers said North Korean workers typically work 18-hour shifts building high-rise apartment blocks. The workers are given only two days off a year and are typically not provided adequate safety equipment.
Some North Korean workers reportedly are also sent to work in clothing factories and IT centers, according to the report.
Some of the former workers reported they were rarely allowed to leave their work sites, with authorities confining them to bug-infested shipping containers when they weren’t on the job.
Despite the horrific conditions, Russian construction jobs are highly sought after in North Korea due to the promise of high wages. However, most of the pay that workers receive from their construction work goes directly to the North Korean government as “loyalty fees.” Workers receive compensation only after their contract expires, and even then it amounts to $100-$200 a month.
Only a small number of North Korean workers in Russia have fled their jobs, with the BBC reporting that authorities are upping their already intense security to prevent further escapes.
The report sheds new light on Russia and North Korea’s economic position as the Ukraine war continues. North Korea previously sent thousands of workers into Russia each year, earning the Pyongyang regime millions, before the United Nations banned the use of North Korean workers in 2019.
However, a South Korean intelligence official told the BBC that over 10,000 North Korean laborers flowed into Russia just last year. According to the same official, Pyongyang is expected to send 50,000 more workers to Russia.
Russian government estimates suggest that around 13,000 North Koreans entered the country in 2024, with 8,000 of them with student visas.
The report follows speculation about North Korea’s involvement in the Ukraine war. North Korea has remained a staunch supporter of Russia’s invasion and has supported the effort with arms shipments and troop deployments. Estimates suggest that North Korea has sent around 12,000 troops to the region since 2022.
A South Korean official cited in the report suggested that North Korean workers could be used to rebuild certain Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine.
Sergei Shoigu, head of the Russian Security Council, admitted in June that around 5,000 North Korean workers would be used to rebuild parts of the Kursk region, which had been occupied by Ukrainian forces.
