The Wall Street Journal wrote that thousands of workers from North Korea were sent to businesses in Russia, where labor shortages have emerged amid the war. The newspaper also alleged that some of the workers are employed at facilities targeted by Ukrainian attacks.
Reports have emerged that North Korea has sent soldiers and military equipment to Russia as relations between Pyongyang and Moscow have strengthened in recent years. Information about the deployment of workers has also come to light.
North Korean women working at Wildberries warehouses
About 20 warehouses operated by Wildberries, one of Russia’s largest e-commerce companies, were targeted by Ukrainian attacks over the summer. The Wall Street Journal alleged that North Korean women work at several of these facilities.
A report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), which examined possible violations of sanctions against North Korea, also included assessments of workers sent from the country to Russia.
Number of North Korean workers in Russia
The MSMT report said that some North Korean workers may be employed by businesses in Russia that manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles. The report assessed that this could amount to direct participation in production linked to military activities.
The report estimated that between 15,000 and 30,000 North Korean citizens may be working in Russia. It said the workers’ average annual income per person was approximately $7,500.
The report also alleged that the North Korean government seizes about 90% of the workers’ earnings. It said North Korean citizens working abroad may have generated up to $800 million in revenue for Pyongyang last year.
The report further alleged that these revenues may have been used to finance North Korea’s nuclear program.
