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North Korea Sends 15,000 Migrant Workers to Russia Amid Labor Shortage, Says WSJ
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![Maryna_kulakova]( "Photo of Maryna Kulakova")
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North Korea has sent approximately 15,000 labor migrants to Russia, many of whom likely entered the country on student visas, according to South Korean intelligence, as reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on May 5.
In 2024, the number of North Koreans entering Russia increased twelvefold compared to the previous year.
Currently, most of these workers are concentrated in Russia’s Far East, but Russian industrial leaders and officials hope that soon more North Korean workers will be able to come to larger cities, including Moscow.
WSJ notes that Russia is facing a labor shortage caused by low birth rates, heavy losses in the war against Ukraine, and a significant emigration of citizens.
Despite the sharp increase in workers, North Koreans alone will not be able to fill Russia’s labor deficit. However, Kim Jong-un’s regime could provide substantial assistance in Russia’s Far East—a region bordering North Korea that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has long viewed as an industrial hub, WSJ wrote.
Previously, it was reported that around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed while fighting alongside Russian forces in the Russian Kursk region, according to South Korean intelligence officials, cited by Reuters on April 30.
In total, roughly 15,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to support Russia’s invasion, with about 4,700 casualties reported, including both dead and wounded.
-21d0b63c17f6020e4df75f6c6f9a2f4f.jpg "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
