According to Russia’s Labor Ministry, the country faces a labor shortage of 1.5 million workers, which could rise to 2.4 million by 2030.
The WSJ reported on Monday that South Korea’s intelligence agency told the country’s lawmakers last week that Pyongyang had dispatched nearly 15,000 migrant workers to Russia to help plug the shortfall.
Many are believed to have entered on student visas, with Moscow’s data showing a 12-fold increase in North Korean arrivals in 2024 compared to the previous year.
So far, the workers have been primarily sent to Russia’s Far East, but Russian officials hope to bring more to major cities, including Moscow.
Russian employers value North Korean laborers’ willingness to work 12-hour shifts for low wages without complaints about working conditions, the WSJ said.