North Koreans Sent to Russia for Slave-Like Labor Amidst War

North Korean Labor in Russia

• 🇰🇵 Thousands of North Koreans are being sent to Russia to work in slave-like conditions, filling a labor shortage exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.
• 📈 South Korean intelligence officials report that over 10,000 workers were sent to Russia last year, with expectations of more than 50,000 arriving in total.

Worker Experiences and Conditions

• 🏗️ Escaped workers describe working 18 hours a day on construction sites, building apartments, and being confined to the work premises.
• ⛓️ One worker described the experience as being in a "labor camp, a prison without bars", filled with fear and physical exhaustion.
• 🗣️ Workers were reportedly taunted as "machines that can speak" rather than humans, with their earnings largely sent to the North Korean regime.

International Sanctions and Resumption of Labor

• 🚫 In 2019, international bans were placed on using North Korean labor to starve Kim Jong-un of funds for nuclear weapons, leading to most workers being sent home.
• 🔄 The current situation indicates a resumption of North Korean labor in Russia, with significant numbers arriving since the start of the war.

Russia's Reliance on Foreign Labor

• 🇷🇺 Russia's need for migrant labor has increased significantly due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, with many men killed, fighting, or having fled the country.
• 🤝 This reliance on North Korean workers is seen as a lasting legacy of the war, with workers continuing to arrive even after the conflict ends.