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North Koreans entering Russia surge to 13,000, suggests labor deal amid Ukraine war

Published: 05 Feb. 2025, 17:25

SEO JI-EUN
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North Korean laborers working on structural framework at a major construction site in downtown Vladivostok, Russia, as captured by Professor Kang Dong-wan of Dong-A University. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

The number of North Koreas entering Russia in 2024 rose nearly 12 times from the previous year to top 13,000, according to recent data, possibly reflecting a surge in laborers dispatched overseas to earn foreign currency for the Kim Jong-un regime in return for its troops sent to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Immigration figures released by Russia’s Federal State Statistics Service, cited by a Radio Free Asia (RFA) report on Wednesday, show that 13,221 North Koreans entered Russia in 2024 from 1,117 in 2023 — an increase of 1,083 percent. This is the highest figure since 2019, when about 21,000 North Koreans traveled to Russia as Pyongyang actively dispatched workers aboard before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Among those who entered Russia last year, 7,887 people said they visited Russia for "education" purposes, making up the largest portion. Experts suggest this could be a form of visa laundering, a common tactic used by North Korea to disguise labor dispatches as academic enrollment and evade international sanctions.

Other reported entry purposes included business with 3,098 individuals, transport-related work with 1,648, personal affairs with 286, transit with 234, tourism with 53 and official duties with 15.

With North Korea’s military and economic ties with Russia strengthening after President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un signed a defense agreement in June 2024, analysts speculate that Pyongyang may be sending laborers as part of a broader compensation package for providing arms, missiles and personnel to Russia. Facing labor shortages due to its prolonged war in Ukraine, Russia appears to be leveraging skilled but low-paid North Korean workers, particularly in its underdeveloped Far East region.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin after signing a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty during Putin's visit to Pyongyang on June 18, 2024. [NEWS1]

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed last October that approximately 4,000 North Korean laborers had been dispatched to Russia in 2024, earning a monthly wage of around $800.

The resumption of regular train operations between Tumangang Station in North Korea’s Rason region and Hasan in Russia’s Primorsky Krai — suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic — also signals an increase in North Korean labor migration.

Analysts believe North Korea's pivot to Russia is also driven by increased pressure from China, which has historically been a key destination for North Korean workers.

China has reportedly intensified its crackdown on North Korean workers within its borders, particularly targeting those with expired or illegal visas. The Chinese authorities have established a "repatriation office" in Dandong, Liaoning Province — the primary trade hub between China and North Korea — to facilitate the swift deportation of undocumented North Korean workers. The move was seen as a response to North Korea's deepening involvement in Russia's war on Ukraine, which has reportedly caused friction between Beijing and Pyongyang.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]