North Korean workers deployed to Russia under forced labor programs earn as little as $10 per month after mandatory state deductions, according to a report by the international human rights organization Global Rights Compliance. The findings raise concerns about violations of United Nations sanctions and highlight severe labor abuses faced by these workers.
The report includes testimony from “RT,” a former North Korean laborer in Russia, who described grueling work conditions. He said laborers start before dawn and work up to 15 hours a day, often into the night, without breaks regardless of weather. Protective gear is not provided, resulting in serious physical harm such as cracked hands. Workers do not control their earnings, as almost all wages are confiscated by the state.
According to Global Rights Compliance North Korea advisor Yeji Kim, each worker typically earns around $800 per month but must pay a state-mandated quota consuming between $600 and $850 of that amount. Additional deductions cover travel debts and communal living expenses, leaving workers with roughly $10 monthly. Any shortfall accumulates as debt, which some workers carry for a year or longer.
The report documents multiple indicators of forced labor among 21 workers in three Russian cities, including debt bondage, restricted movement, wage withholding, excessive overtime, physical violence, constant surveillance, deception, isolation, and abusive living and working conditions. Upon arrival, workers’ passports are confiscated by North Korean officials, preventing free movement. Workers are allowed occasional outings only in supervised groups.
“The quota must be met by any means necessary, even if it meant paying out of their own pocket,” RT said. Failure to meet quotas results in being sent back to North Korea where workers face blacklisting, interrogation, and their families may suffer reprisals.
The report underscores that Russian companies employing North Korean workers often conceal their identities, which further complicates enforcement of U.N. Security Council resolutions mandating repatriation of North Korean laborers. The continued presence of these workers in Russia potentially violates international sanctions designed to pressure the North Korean regime.
Fox News Digital sought comment from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and North Korea’s U.N. mission but received no response prior to publication.
Why it matters
This investigation reveals how North Korea allegedly sustains its regime financially through forced labor abroad despite international sanctions. The exploitation of workers in Russia under harsh conditions and near-total wage confiscation highlights ongoing human rights abuses and challenges to international efforts to enforce sanctions on North Korea.
Background
United Nations resolutions require member states to repatriate North Korean workers as a means to cut off crucial revenue streams to Pyongyang’s government. North Korea’s state-sponsored overseas labor program involves sending tens of thousands of workers abroad, often under restrictive and coercive conditions. Prior reports have documented similar forced labor practices in other countries, but this new report offers detailed firsthand testimony from workers in Russia, illuminating their continual exploitation despite sanctions.
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