North Koreans tell BBC they are being sent to work 'like slaves' in Russia
12 days ago
- #Russia-Ukraine War
- #North Korea
- #Forced Labor
- Thousands of North Koreans are being sent to work in slave-like conditions in Russia to fill labor shortages caused by the war in Ukraine.
- Workers endure abysmal conditions, including 18-hour workdays, two days off a year, and dangerous environments with little safety equipment.
- North Korean authorities tightly control workers, confining them to construction sites and subjecting them to ideological training to prevent escapes.
- Workers' earnings are mostly taken by the North Korean state as 'loyalty fees,' leaving them with minimal pay (around $100-$200/month) only upon returning home.
- Some workers have escaped, but the number has halved since 2022 due to increased surveillance and restrictions on movement.
- Russia is circumventing UN sanctions by issuing student visas to North Korean laborers, with plans to deploy them in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
- Experts predict North Korean workers will remain in Russia long after the war ends, solidifying Kim Jong Un and Putin's wartime alliance.