**North Korean Workers Sent to Russia in Slave-Like Conditions**
Thousands of North Koreans are being sent to work in Russia, where they are subjected to harsh conditions and mistreated. This is according to the BBC, which has learned that Moscow is relying on Pyongyang to fill a labor shortage caused by its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Many Russian men have either been killed or conscripted into fighting, or have fled the country. As a result, Russia is turning to North Korea for workers to help with reconstruction projects and other tasks. The North Korean government has sent over 10,000 laborers to Russia in the past year alone, with more expected to arrive this year.
**Abysmal Working Conditions**
The North Korean workers are being forced to work long hours, often for up to 18 hours a day, with little rest or time off. They are confined to their construction sites and watched closely by agents from North Korea’s state security department. The workers sleep in dirty, overcrowded shipping containers or other unsanitary conditions.
Many of the workers were shocked to learn that they were being paid much less than workers from other countries for doing similar work. Tae, a worker who escaped, said he felt like he was “in a labor camp; a prison without bars.” The men are also forced to hand over most of their earnings to the North Korean state as “loyalty fees.”
**Crackdown on Escapes**
In an effort to prevent workers from escaping, the North Korean authorities have tightened control over their movements. Workers who used to be allowed to leave construction sites in groups are now only permitted to go out in groups of five and are closely monitored.
Fewer workers are managing to escape each year. The South Korean government says that the number of North Koreans arriving in Seoul after escaping from Russia has halved since 2022, from around 20 a year to just 10.
**Lasting Legacy**
Experts say that these overseas construction jobs will be a lasting legacy of Kim and Putin’s wartime friendship. Many more workers are expected to arrive in Russia as the war continues, and it is likely that they will continue to arrive even after the conflict has ended.
The North Korean government’s treatment of its citizens who work abroad is being criticized by activists and experts alike. The regime’s control over these workers is seen as a way to maintain loyalty and suppress dissent among its population.
