Harsh Working Conditions for Laborers in Russia's North: Evidence of 'Slave-like' Work Regimes for up to 18 Hours Per Day, with Just Two Days of Annual Leave
In a recent development, it has been reported that tens of thousands of North Korean workers are being deployed in Russia, primarily to address severe labor shortages caused by Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.
Originally written in Korean, this article has been translated into English using bilingual reporter and generative AI tools. The translation was later edited by a native English-speaking editor to ensure accuracy and clarity.
The majority of these workers are assigned to construction sites, including rebuilding infrastructure in strategic regions like Russia’s Far East and the Kursk region. They are also deployed to factories and IT centers. This deployment is part of a growing Russia–North Korea cooperation amid the ongoing conflict.
However, the conditions these workers face are harsh and exploitative. Reports from escaped workers describe punishing workdays of up to 18-20 hours, only two days off per year, constant surveillance by North Korean security agents, confinement to job sites with no freedom to leave or speak to outsiders, and poor-quality living quarters. Physical punishment, including beatings for resting and working without protective gear, is also reported.
North Korean authorities tightly control the workers, enforcing ideological training and restricting their movements to prevent escapes. Despite this, a few have managed to flee and communicate secretly. However, the number of escapes has declined sharply since 2022 due to intensified surveillance.
This forced labor abroad violates a 2019 United Nations ban on North Korean labor exports, but both Russia and North Korea apparently disregard this ban for strategic and economic reasons. The workers’ exploitation is linked closely to the alliance between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, with labor services framed as "brotherly aid" by Russian officials but effectively amounting to state-sanctioned forced labor under military oversight, with no rights or protections for the workers.
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In summary, North Korean workers currently at construction sites in Russia are part of a massive, coerced labor force subjected to brutal and oppressive conditions, serving Russian wartime rebuilding efforts and underscoring the grim human cost of geopolitical alliances.
- The partnership between Russia and North Korea, stemming from the ongoing conflict, includes the deployment of North Korean workers to various sectors, such as construction sites, factories, and IT centers, for strategic and economic purposes.
- In the workplace, North Korean workers face exploitative conditions, working long hours with minimal breaks, under constant surveillance, and living in poor-quality accommodations, often subjected to physical punishment.
- This forced labor, in violation of the United Nations ban on North Korean labor exports, is a manifestation of the alliance between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, with the labor services appearing as "brotherly aid" but essentially constituting state-sanctioned forced labor under military oversight, disregarding the workers' rights and protections.
