A recent report by Global Rights Compliance (GRC) reveals that North Korea is sending citizens to work under coercive conditions in Russia, violating international labor standards. Based on testimonies from 21 North Korean workers in three Russian cities, the report identifies all 11 indicators of forced labor as defined by the International Labour Organization.
The GRC’s findings indicate a systematic pattern of control, violence, and coercion faced by these workers. The report highlights that Russia is contravening United Nations sanctions that prohibit the hiring of North Korean nationals. However, it notes that Russia’s need for labor to support its struggling economy amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to this situation.
According to the testimonies collected, workers are required to labor for up to 364 days a year, averaging 14 hours a day, with some reports indicating shifts lasting between 12 to 16 hours. Compensation for these extensive hours amounts to approximately $10 per month. Many workers find themselves in debt after a year of employment due to the North Korean government’s quota system.
The GRC concludes that the overseas labor program serves the strategic interests of the North Korean government rather than the economic well-being of the workers. The report states, “The program is a tool for three intersecting interests of the North Korean government: generating hard currency, exerting diplomatic influence, and maintaining military superiority. Workers become instruments of state policy rather than beneficiaries of economic opportunities.”
While workers may have some degree of freedom to act and even bribe North Korean officials to work abroad, this does not negate the coercive nature of their employment. The GRC points to a significant information gap between what North Koreans are told and the reality they face. For instance, employers often confiscate workers’ passports, returning them only during police inspections.
“We must acknowledge the inherent freedom of action of the workers while recognizing that this constitutes state-imposed forced labor, which is prohibited under international law,” the report states.
The report explains that the North Korean quota system fundamentally exploits workers. The government systematically reduces their wages through this quota, which has reportedly increased from $600 to $700 per month, with some workers claiming to pay as much as $850 monthly. Any shortfall in meeting the quota is carried over to the following year, trapping workers in a cycle of debt.
“Workers are primarily seeking not harsh legal accountability but reasonable and immediate relief from severe conditions: adequate protective equipment at work, reduced working hours, a less exploitative quota system, opportunities to maintain contact with families back home, and better options for those wishing to escape,” the report states.
According to United Nations estimates for 2024, over 100,000 North Koreans are working abroad under the state-sponsored forced labor program.
The Global Rights Compliance report highlights the forced labor conditions faced by North Korean workers in Russia, revealing violations of international labor standards and UN sanctions. The findings underscore the exploitative nature of the North Korean labor export program, which serves the regime's strategic interests rather than the welfare of the workers.
Source: Global Rights Compliance