North Korea has dispatched thousands of workers to Russia to address labor shortages caused by war casualties, emigration, and the mobilization of personnel into the military-industrial complex. These deployments are part of a deepening partnership between Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin, which includes the transfer of missiles, munitions, and soldiers to support Russia’s war effort.
Industrial and Defense Sector Employment
North Korean nationals have been integrated into Russia’s defense manufacturing, specifically on drone production lines, according to a report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team. This includes increasing numbers of workers sent to the Yelabuga Drone Factory in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, located in the Republic of Tatarstan. This facility, which spans over 2.8 million square meters, produces Geran-series drones, including the Geran 1, 2, 3, and 5.
Beyond defense, North Koreans are employed in civilian industry. South Korean officials stated that North Korean workers were employed at one of nearly two dozen factories owned by Wildberries, a major Russian commerce company. These sites were targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes over the summer, resulting in at least nine deaths. Evidence that North Koreans remain at the company includes a Russian job site advertisement for a Korean-language interpreter for Wildberries.
Agricultural and Construction Deployments
The deployment of North Korean citizens has expanded to include women working in the agricultural sector and general industry. The St Petersburg-based recruitment agency Startaff proposed recruiting up to 2,000 female workers from North Korea every week. Reported sightings of these women include:
- Pig farms in Primorsky Krai, specifically near Vladivostok and Ussuriysk.
- An agricultural complex near Kaluga, specifically the Agro-Invest complex.
Other laborers have been sent to work at textile factories, meat-processing facilities, and construction sites. While some are registered as students, they are reportedly subjected to 14-hour work days and housed in shipping containers under strict supervision.
Labor Conditions and Human Rights
Human rights activists and defectors have described the employment system as forced labor. A study by Global Rights Compliance, based on interviews with 21 workers in three Russian cities, found all 11 indicators of forced labor as defined by the International Labour Organisation. Reported conditions include:
- Extreme Hours: Work days ranging from 14 to 20 hours, with some workers starting at 6 a.m. and finishing at 2 a.m.
- Lack of Rest: Reports of only two days off per year.
- Abuse: Supervisors reportedly beat workers who fall asleep while standing or leave their posts to sleep during the day.
- Financial Exploitation: Workers face financial quotas in favor of the state, with some receiving only about $10 a month after deductions.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) estimates that more than 30,000 North Korean workers are currently in Russia. Global Rights Compliance estimates that the overall system of overseas labor for North Korean citizens could generate approximately $500 million annually for Pyongyang.
Military Integration and Strategic Impact
The labor deployments coincide with significant military cooperation. North Korea and Russia signed a mutual-defence pact in 2024. Since then, Pyongyang has sent soldiers to fight in the Kursk region; while one source cites a first cohort of approximately 14,000 soldiers, another reports approximately 16,000 troops dispatched. South Korean intelligence estimates that roughly 2,000 of these soldiers have been killed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that North Korea has sent as many as 50,000 troops to fight alongside Russian forces since the war began. He told the Ukrainian parliament that these people were sent to bolster the Russian army and replace Russians killed in the conflict.
There is growing speculation regarding the potential transfer of Russian drone technology to North Korea. The Geran 5 drone, which uses a turbojet engine and travels at 600 km per hour, carries a 90 kg warhead. Experts suggest that the proliferation of such technology could shift the balance of power on the Korean peninsula and threaten American bases, such as Camp Humphreys in South Korea and naval facilities in Sasebo, as well as Samsung factory clusters.
Related reading