Source link : https://london-news.net/exposing-brutal-realities-north-korean-workers-in-russia-endure-inhumane-conditions/
North Korean workers in Russia are reportedly facing conditions akin to slavery, characterized by long working hours, inadequate wages, and poor living conditions, according to a BBC report published on Tuesday. The report drew on accounts from six defectors, researchers, and South Korean intelligence officials.
These laborers are monitored closely by North Korean security agents to deter any attempts at defection, a level of scrutiny that experts believe has increased as more North Koreans are expected to come to Russia for work.
Currently, it is estimated that around 15,000 North Koreans are working in Russia, primarily in the construction industry. This figure could potentially increase to 50,000 by the end of the year, despite a United Nations prohibition on hiring North Korean workers due to concerns that their earnings are appropriated by the North Korean regime.
Notably, almost 8,000 of the 13,000 North Koreans who traveled to Russia in 2024 reportedly used student visas to bypass the employment ban.
According to escapees, they were required to wake up at 6 a.m. and work until 2 a.m. the next day, receiving only two days off throughout the entire year. One defector remarked, “We felt as if we were truly dying.”
Despite being promised higher salaries than in North Korea, they reported having to pay “loyalty fees” to the government, ultimately receiving only $100 to $200 per month after returning home.
One individual expressed feelings of “shame” upon…
—-
Author : [email protected]
Publish date : 2025-08-12 16:26:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
—-
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8