Two North Korean men who escaped from Russia have revealed the brutal conditions faced by thousands of Kim Jong-un’s men sent to work in Vladimir Putin’s industries
North Koreans sent to slave away in Vladimir Putin’s country endure 22-hour days of backbreaking work completed with “brainwashing sessions” as a reward.
Two North Koreans who fled Russia have revealed the secretive lives of the men Kim Jong-un dispatched to his fellow dictator Putin to toil in the timber and construction industries. These workers have been subjected to impossible quotas and brutal “loyalty payments”, which would strip them of their earnings and send their money back to dictator Kim. These harrowing revelations come after Russian security chief Sergei Shoigu announced that Kim Jong-un was sending thousands of workers to help rebuild the Kursk region.
One North Korean employed in construction in Irkutsk Oblast, in Siberia, described how despite working potentially dangerous manual jobs with no safety equipment, these men faced being sent back to North Korea at their own expense. He said one of his compatriots who lost a toe on the job begged not to be sent home.
Mr Park, who is using an alias, said: “Apart from wearing worn-out hard hats provided by the Russian side, there was no safety education or equipment. There were no nets or harnesses for working at heights, and falls from tall buildings were frequent.
“One colleague fell from the third floor and broke his arm. He had to be hospitalised for two months, after which he was forcibly repatriated to North Korea – and he had to cover all the costs himself. That’s why many workers chose to keep working, even at great risk.”
He added: “Another colleague injured his leg with a grinder – his big toe was severed, and his ankle was badly wounded. Still, he begged the supervisor to let him continue working with his leg wrapped in bandages.”
The defector added that the workloads and harsh quotas led to them being hit with inhumane working hours. Although the official work day was 7am until 5pm, with an hour for lunch, there was no clocking off until the work was done.
This meant falling behind on their unrealistic quotas could turn their 10 hour work day into a 22 hour one. Mr Park said falling short was its own punishment, adding: “You could only go home after meeting your quota. To meet the quotas, we were sometimes forced to work from 7am to 5am the next day – 22 hours straight. Even skilled workers would only finish by around 7pm. That was the punishment: brutal overwork.”
Workers who reached their quota on time were rewarded with brainwashing sessions. Another North Korean sent to Irkutsk Oblast, this time working in the timber industry, said they were subject to “ideological education” after work.
Mr Moon, who is also using an alias, said: “The working conditions were just as harsh as in North Korea. There was constant pressure to meet quotas, and senior managers frequently yelled at us and issued orders in a threatening manner. On days we met our quota, we had ideological education and could rest afterwards. If not, we had to do overtime work.
“On good days, I could sleep for about seven hours, but sometimes, I had to go back to work after sleeping only one or two hours. The physical toll is self-explanatory. Especially when I first arrived from North Korea, I was malnourished and felt like my body was breaking apart every day, always covered in bruises.”
Both of these men said they left North Korea to escape poverty but earning money was also impossible in Russia. Mr Moon said: “Each worker was required to send about $1,000 per month to North Korea as a ‘loyalty remittance’. But in reality, most of us earned only $600 to 800 – and that was only if we met our quotas every day.
“So we ended up earning nothing and just paying the remittance until we returned home. Some workers even collected discarded clothing left by Russians to bring back.”
For Mr Park, who travelled to Russia later, the cost was heavier still, saying: “From the moment we were dispatched, we were in debt. All travel-related expenses – flights, trains, visa fees – had to be paid by us. On top of that, we were required to pay the party $1,500 per month.”
But horrific as their experiences were, they agree it was better than being in North Korea. Mr Park said: “No matter how difficult life was as a North Korean worker in Russia, it couldn’t compare to life in North Korea. In the North, you can work yourself to death and still only afford a bottle of alcohol or a loaf of bread.
“In Russia, at least you could turn on a light at night or access water at any time. Life felt much freer there.” South Korean intelligence officials estimate as many as 15,000 North Koreans are working in Russia.