Thousands of North Korean workers have arrived in Russia in 2024 to take jobs in the construction sector, according to a report from South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing the country’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed his country’s unwavering support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. However, according to Yonhap, this emigration trend appears to violate United Nations sanctions, which prohibit North Korea from sending workers abroad.
Russia Bypassing U.N. Ban
Under U.N. Security Council Resolution 2397, adopted in 2017, North Korea is banned from exporting labor due to concerns that worker salaries are funneled into Pyongyang’s weapons programs.
Despite this, Russia has reportedly allowed North Koreans to enter under the guise of student visas.
Data from Russia’s federal statistics service shows that 13,221 North Koreans entered Russia in 2024, a twelvefold increase from the previous year. Of these, nearly 8,000 claimed to be arriving for educational purposes.
Demand for Foreign Workers
Russia is facing a severe labor crisis as a result of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Military mobilization has pulled hundreds of thousands of men from the workforce, while declining immigration and an aging population have worsened the situation.
While the 13,000 North Korean workers are unlikely to solve Russia’s economic challenges, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggest this may be the start of larger waves of North Korean labor imports to help address workforce shortages.
The increase in North Korean labor exports comes as Russia and North Korea expand their military cooperation. In June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un signed a mutual defense pact, strengthening their alliance.
Pyongyang has already played a direct role in Russia’s war effort. North Korea has supplied artillery shells and ballistic missiles, and reports indicate that up to 12,000 North Korean troops were deployed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast last fall to help Russian forces push back a Ukrainian incursion.
As Moscow’s economic and military dependence on North Korea deepens, the consequences of this partnership may extend beyond the battlefield, further isolating both nations from the international community.
