BBC "North Korean Workers in China Exploited by North Korean Authorities"

Working 6 Days a Week, 12-14 Hours a Day
Severe Wage Arrears "Strikes and Riots Also Occur"

British broadcaster BBC reported on the 7th (local time) that North Korean workers in China are being exploited like slaves by the North Korean authorities.

BBC confirmed this report by verifying emails exchanged between a North Korean worker currently working as a software developer in the northeastern region of China and Ko Young-hwan, Special Advisor to the Minister of Unification. The worker said, "North Korea exploits IT workers like slaves, making them work six days a week, 12 to 14 hours a day." He also mentioned suffering from various illnesses such as chronic insomnia due to this.

There were also testimonies that managers publicly humiliated employees with poor performance by slapping them in front of everyone or beating them until they bled. Additionally, it was reported that the North Korean authorities mobilized female restaurant workers to provide sexual services to the workers and manage them. This mainly targeted high-performing workers. This method was used to foster competition and make them earn more money.

The issue of wage arrears was also revealed. The worker stated that when he first arrived in China, he received 15-20% of his salary directly, but salary payments stopped in 2020. Another North Korean worker said that even though he performed well at a relatively financially stable workplace, he only received 15% of his wages, with the rest taken by his manager and the North Korean government, causing frustration.

It is estimated that there are currently 100,000 North Korean workers abroad, most of whom work in factories or construction sites in northeastern China. The amount they remitted to North Korea from 2017 to 2023 is estimated to be about $740 million (approximately 984 billion KRW).

Earlier, Special Advisor Ko revealed that thousands of North Korean workers dispatched to Jilin Province in northeastern China protested against wage arrears by the North Korean authorities and staged a series of strikes and riots at several factories since early last month. BBC reported that the security around the factories where North Korean workers work in China is tight, so it could not directly confirm whether such riots actually occurred.

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