North Korean Workers In Russia Have Complained About Harsh Working Conditions And $10 A Month Payments
- 25.03.2026, 21:07
Workers work in unsanitary conditions for 16 hours a day almost without a day off.
North Koreans sent to Russian construction sites work 16 hours a day with almost no days off, live in unsanitary conditions and receive about $10 a month after all deductions. This is according to a report by the human rights organization Global Rights Compliance, excerpts from which are quoted by NBC News.
Researchers interviewed more than 20 North Koreans currently or formerly employed at construction sites in three Russian cities. They said they are under constant surveillance and are effectively deprived of the ability to manage their income: a significant portion of their earnings goes to the state, which must be paid $700. In case of underpayment, the remaining amount is carried over to the next month, driving people into debt bondage.
The workers also complain about unbearable living conditions. They say they have to sleep in overcrowded, unheated containers infested with cockroaches and bedbugs, and only get to shower once or twice a year. Their injuries and illnesses are generally ignored by their superiors. "We live worse than cattle," one construction worker noted.
Many North Koreans do not even know who exactly they are working for because they are hired in violation of UN sanctions. Their passports are confiscated as soon as they arrive in Russia and handed over to DPRK intelligence officers.
According to the report, North Koreans are sent to work in a total of 40 countries under the state labor program. It brings Pyongyang $500 million annually. In addition to construction, DPRK residents are employed in textiles, medicine, IT, catering and other industries.
DPRK stepped up sending workers to Russia after the war in Ukraine began, helping the government of Vladimir Putin to reduce the shortage of personnel. The exact numbers are unknown. A South Korean intelligence official told the BBC that more than 10,000 North Korean workers were brought to Russia in 2024 and 50,000 were expected to arrive in 2025. They were to be used on construction projects in the occupied parts of Ukraine.
In June 2025, 15,000 North Korean workers were in Russia, reported Pavel Belenets, assistant chairman of the board of directors of the Eskadra development group. He also predicted that their number would increase to 50,000 by the end of the year, although Russian companies have submitted 153,000 applications.
In June 2025, Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Security Council, said that 5,000 North Koreans would be involved in the reconstruction of the Kursk region, which was under Ukrainian control for about 9 months but was eventually recaptured by the Russian army with the help of DPRK soldiers.
North Korea is one of the poorest countries in the world. The real GDP of the country is estimated at about $26.7 billion, GDP per capita - about $1.1 thousand. The level of income of an average resident is only 3-4% of the income of a resident of South Korea. The salary of even the heads of enterprises is about $10 per month.