"Russia Faces Labor Shortage Due to War... Expansion of North Korean Worker Dispatch Expected Next Year"

As personal exchanges between North Korea and Russia, which had been curtailed due to COVID-19, gradually expand, there is a prospect that next year the dispatch of North Korean workers to Russia, which is facing labor shortages due to the war, may increase.

Kim Da-ul, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), stated in the "December KDI (Korea Development Institute) North Korean Economic Review," "Russia is experiencing a domestic labor shortage due to the war, and North Korea is seeking to earn foreign currency by evading sanctions. In this situation, the interests of both countries align regarding overseas dispatched workers, making it likely that the dispatch of North Korean workers to Russia will expand."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to Senior Researcher Kim, signs of North Korean worker dispatches to Russia have been observed since 2022. After North Korea recognized the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk and supported Russia in the Russia-Ukraine war, the possibility of North Korean workers being deployed for reconstruction in those areas began to be discussed.

Kim said, "As of the first half of 2021, the number of North Korean residents staying in Russia for tourism, study, business, and other purposes was counted at 4,448," adding, "Considering that the issuance of tourist and student visas surged after sanctions, the majority of these are likely related to overseas dispatched labor." Since the dispatch of North Korean workers overseas violates sanctions, most North Korean workers currently dispatched abroad reside under other types of visas such as student or travel visas rather than work visas.

He added, "This year, discussions were held between North Korea and Russia to simplify visa issuance. In February, Russia added North Korea to the list of countries eligible for simplified tourist visas, allowing North Korean residents to stay in Russia visa-free for up to six months. In July, the electronic visa issuance system for North Korea was resumed," and "there are reports that in April this year, North Korea newly dispatched about 450 overseas workers to Russia."

North Korea allowed the repatriation of overseas dispatched workers for the first time since COVID-19 in August, and although the excuse for extended stays due to COVID-19 has disappeared, it is possible that new dispatches will continue rather than ending with the return of dispatched workers.

On the other hand, regarding China, while a certain scale of North Korean labor employment will continue, China officially aims to comply with sanctions, so even if personal exchanges resume, the overseas dispatch of workers to China is not expected to expand significantly. Meanwhile, since tourism is not subject to UN sanctions, tourism cooperation among North Korea, Russia, and China is expected to fully resume next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.