Report North Koreans are being sent to work "like slaves" in Russia

[CharlieH]

 

 

Thousands of North Koreans are being sent to Russia to toil in dire conditions, as President Putin turns to Pyongyang for help amid a major labour shortage due to the war in Ukraine.

 

With many Russian men either killed, enlisted, or having fled, Moscow is increasingly relying on North Korean labour. Boeing sanctioned bodies and working with South Korean intelligence has revealed that thousands are subjected to appalling conditions.

 

Interviews with escapees expose the grim reality. Jin, a worker, recounted his arrival in Russia, chaperoned by a North Korean agent straight to a gruelling construction site, working 18-plus hour days. Others, like Tae, described waking up terrified to repeat the punishing routine. Supervisors would beat those who tried to rest during long shifts.

 

Living conditions are deplorable. Workers are confined to sites, sleep in overcrowded containers or unfinished buildings, and are constantly watched by North Korean state agents.

 

Historically, North Korean labourers in Russia earned significant funds for Kim Jong Un's regime until a 2019 UN ban aimed to cut off these resources. Despite this, over 10,000 workers were sent to Russia last year, with numbers expected to rise to 50,000.

Many work on large-scale projects, while others are placed in factories and IT centres, evading UN sanctions by entering on student visas. Russian official Sergei Shoigu admitted plans to use 5,000 North Koreans for rebuilding projects, despite legal prohibitions.

 

North Korean workers are favoured for their low cost and high compliance. Their wages primarily go to the state, with a small portion promised only upon return.

For those who escape, the reality of unfair pay is crushing. Tae was shocked to learn other construction workers from Central Asia earned five times more for less work. The meagre income and harsh conditions pushed some to defect.

 

Escapes became rare as Pyongyang enforced stricter controls, using frequent ideological training and reducing workers' freedoms. Activists revealed that outings are now limited and under intense surveillance to prevent defections.

The number of North Koreans reaching Seoul has halved, as escape becomes increasingly challenging. These labourers stand as a legacy of the alliance between Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin, with expectations of continued deployments even after the war ends.

 

Kim Seung-chul, an activist aiding escapes, noted the human cost: lives manipulated, silenced, and often sacrificed by geopolitical intrigue. While the world turns its attention to these issues, the workers remain trapped, hoping for an eventual path to freedom.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The BBC 2025-08-12