Thousands of North Koreans working in Russia have reveaed they are enduring “slave-like” conditions, as Moscow and Pyongyang deepen cooperation despite United Nations sanctions.
South Korean intelligence estimates that more than 13,000 North Koreans entered Russia in 2024, a twelvefold increase from the year before.
Many arrived on student visas, a tactic seen as a way to bypass a UN ban on North Korean overseas labour. Officials believe the number could rise to 50,000 in the coming years.
Workers described gruelling 18-hour shifts, sometimes with only two days off a year, in construction and industrial jobs across Russia’s Far East. “By the end of the day, my hands were so stiff I couldn’t unclench them,” one man said. Another worker explained, “If someone collapsed, the supervisors shouted at them to get up and keep going.”
Living conditions were described as harsh, with many housed in cramped, unheated shipping containers or unfinished buildings. “In winter, you can see your breath even when you’re trying to sleep,” a labourer told the BBC. Several said they were constantly monitored by North Korean minders, leaving them fearful of speaking openly.
Although monthly wages are nominally between $100 and $200, up to 70% is seized by the North Korean state as “loyalty payments.” “We work for months, but the money goes straight back to the government. We get almost nothing,” one worker said. Many reported that their pay is withheld until they return home, leaving them reliant on small food allowances.
Human rights groups have long accused North Korea of exploiting its citizens through overseas labour programs, which provide a vital source of foreign currency for the regime. The latest accounts suggest that the Russia deployment, framed as legal student or work exchanges, follows the same abusive pattern.
Both the Kremlin and Pyongyang have denied mistreatment of North Korean workers.
