Kathrine Frich
North Korea has long relied on sending its citizens abroad to earn hard currency under strict state control.
Since Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, those labor arrangements appear to have taken on new importance for both Moscow and Pyongyang.
New reporting now sheds light on the conditions faced by a group of North Korean women working inside Russia, raising questions about forced labor and wartime economic ties.
Warehouse deployment
According to reporting by the Daily Express, North Korean women have been sent to work at a Wildberries warehouse in the Moscow region.
Wildberries is Russia’s largest online retailer and is often described as the country’s equivalent of Amazon.
Sources cited by the outlet said the women are paid significantly less than Russian workers performing similar jobs.
While typical shifts reportedly pay between 7,000 and 10,000 roubles, the North Korean workers are said to receive around 3,500 roubles per shift.
Wages seized
The same sources told the independent Russian outlet VChK-OGPU that up to 90% of those wages are taken by the North Korean state.
Funds earned by citizens working abroad are reportedly transferred into so-called “loyalty funds” controlled by the regime.
Based on those deductions, the women could be left with as little as $4 per shift, according to the report. VChK-OGPU said the system is used to channel foreign earnings directly into the North Korean state budget.
Strict controls
A source quoted by VChK-OGPU said the women are closely monitored.
“These women are escorted everywhere in formation and under guard by some men from the same country. They all live together as well and are not allowed to go outside. We are not allowed to communicate with them.”
Another source described the workers as “slaves,” saying their contracts were designed to ease labor shortages in Russia as the war strains its economy.
Political backing
The deployment of North Korean women reportedly follows the arrival of North Korean male military personnel in Russia.
These moves are part of a broader agreement between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to the sources cited.
One source said Wildberries management was “extremely pleased” with the arrangement and was considering increasing the number of North Korean workers at its facilities.
Beyond warehouse labor, tens of thousands of North Koreans have reportedly been sent to Russia to support its war effort.
Sources: Daily Express, East2West News
