Overview

• South Korean intelligence estimates up to 50,000 North Koreans are operating in Russia across construction, manufacturing and IT roles to address severe labour shortages caused by the Ukraine war.
• Defectors interviewed by the BBC describe 'slave-like' conditions that include 18-hour shifts, round-the-clock surveillance and physical abuse at multiple worksites.
• Most earnings from the deployments are seized by the North Korean regime as 'loyalty fees', leaving workers with a monthly allowance of just $100–$200.
• Seoul reports that escape rates have roughly halved since 2022, with tighter North Korean oversight and restricted movements limiting defections.
• The scheme breaches a 2019 UN ban on North Korean overseas labour, triggering fresh human-rights and sanctions concerns as independent verification remains limited.