＜Inside North Korea＞ Worker Dispatches to Russia Expanding - Screening Criteria Unusually Relaxed... Appears to Have Increased Following Military Deployment

A boom in worker dispatches to Russia is occurring in North Korea. Recruitment continues throughout North Korea, with previously strict screening criteria reportedly being relaxed. The numbers appear to have surged since around October-November last year when military deployments to Russia came to light. This investigation was conducted in three northern cities. (By KANG Ji-won / ISHIMARU Jiro)

◆ Russia Ignores Security Council Sanctions

Following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea resumed dispatching workers to China and Russia in early 2024. For the Kim Jong-un regime, struggling with economic damage and foreign currency shortages due to COVID isolation, sending citizens abroad is an easy way to earn foreign currency, despite risks such as defection and exposure to foreign information.

However, accepting North Korean workers violates UN Security Council sanctions. While China had accepted between 50,000 to 100,000 workers until 2017, since the waning of the pandemic, they have been urging returns while strongly restricting the acceptance of new workers.

◆ Dispatched for Construction and Siberian Logging

Russia has been accepting workers for construction sites, interior work, and Siberian logging operations. The number was reportedly around 30,000 until 2017. Russian domestic evaluation of North Korean workers has been very high, noting their diligence and quality work at low wages.

Russia, which has grown rapidly closer to North Korea following its invasion of Ukraine, has largely ignored its sanctions implementation duties despite being a permanent Security Council member. With chronic labor shortages worsened by war, Russia resumed accepting new workers early last year as demand for North Korean workers increased. South Korea's National Intelligence Service announced on October 29 last year that approximately 4,000 North Korean workers were in Russia, earning around $800 monthly.

◆ No Dispatch Allowed Even for Korean Drama Viewers

In North Korea, many people rushed at this rare opportunity to earn money abroad. This is because urban residents have become impoverished due to the regime's strict restrictions on private economic activities. It's not uncommon for people to borrow money from relatives or sell homes to prepare bribes. Screening has been strict - in addition to background checks, those previously caught watching South Korean dramas or with defector relatives were excluded. Recommendations from workplaces and neighborhood units were also required.

◆ Worker Selection Intensifies Following Military Deployment

A reporting partner from Musan County, North Hamgyong Province, shared the following in December last year: "Since last spring, Musan Mine had recruited and selected workers for dispatch to China, but China either vaguely delayed accepting them or cited sanctions violations, leading to some September deployments being returned. So they began sending workers to Russia instead, and are rushing to reconfirm that there are no issues with backgrounds and workplace organizational life. Most will reportedly be engaged in construction work."

A reporting partner in Hoeryong City also reported that authorities are conducting large-scale recruitment for Russia: "In Hoeryong, recruitment intensified after November 15, following the deployment of soldiers to Russia. The work involves construction and factory labor. In Hoeryong alone, about 200 people were selected. I heard the work periods are divided into one and two years."

In Ryanggang Province, which borders China, many people are heading to Russia instead of the stagnant Chinese option: "Many have gone to Russia from Hyesan City too. In December alone, 37 people reportedly left. Even those without special skills are being selected. There's talk of them being mobilized for war recovery construction, while others work in regular factories. They travel to Russia via Pyongyang and Rason. If there are no political issues, dispatch permits are generally granted with just workplace recommendations and guarantors."

◆ Some Cancel Due to Reports of Exploitation

Meanwhile, there appears to be a recent increase in people canceling their confirmed Russian assignments due to dissatisfaction with conditions. Before COVID, workers could earn money in Russia for 5-10 years, but now periods are shorter at one or two years. "They're even recruiting for 3-6 month short-term dispatches. Some people have given up going despite receiving workplace recommendations," says the Musan County reporting partner.

Information about poor working conditions and severe exploitation by authorities is spreading through returning workers from China and Russia.

"There's a woman nearby who returned from China with back pain who complained, 'They worked us like machines or livestock. They said we could earn 50,000 yuan (about 9.92 million won) per year, but we didn't receive proper payment.' This led to her being called to the Ministry of State Security (police) and made to write self-criticism at the Youth League. Everyone now knows that going abroad for work is difficult," (Ryanggang Province reporting partner)

*Note: The Youth League (Socialist Patriotic Youth League) is a Workers' Party mass organization for students from senior middle school through university and working youth generally up to age 30.

In January 2024, Japanese and South Korean media reported an incident where North Korean workers at a factory in Jilin Province, angered by unpaid wages, occupied their workplace and assaulted a management supervisor, resulting in death.

Additionally, North Korean domestic collaborators were unable to confirm which regions the workers dispatched to Russia are in or what kind of work they are doing.

※ ASIAPRESS communicates with its reporting partners through Chinese cell phones smuggled into North Korea.