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Russia Employs North Korean Doctor Amid Growing Medical Staff Shortage
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Russia has recorded its first known case of a North Korean doctor working in the country. A development that may indicate a widening program to recruit labor from Pyongyang amid a growing shortage of medical personnel, NK News reported, according to The Moscow Times on March 9.
Journalists identified a North Korean practitioner, Kim Myong Su, employed at the Moscow clinic Dzin Yu, also known as “Golden Fish,” which offers traditional Eastern medicine. The clinic published his professional biography on its website and released a video in which the doctor describes treatment methods, speaking with a noticeable North Korean accent.
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According to The Moscow Times, Kim Myong Su graduated from Pyongyang Medical University, has more than 35 years of experience, and represents what is described as the “16th generation of physicians” in his family. He specializes in acupuncture, pulse and tongue diagnostics, and the treatment of tumors. Kim Myong Su’s biography states that he obtained a medical degree from a North Korean state authority in 1998 and previously worked in China, including in senior roles at medical clinics.
Analysts say his employment may raise questions regarding compliance with United Nations Security Council sanctions, which prohibit the use of North Korean labor abroad in order to limit funding for the country’s nuclear and missile programs. Former members of the UN panel of experts, Shuji Sue and Maiko Takeuchi, told NK News that if the doctor is confirmed to be a North Korean citizen, his work in Russia could fall under the sanctions regime. Until now, most North Korean nationals working in Russia have been employed in construction and other manual labor sectors.
Cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang in the medical field has increased in recent years. The Russian embassy in North Korea previously reported that North Korean doctors had begun internships in Moscow clinics in specialties such as cardiology and oncology, as reported by The Moscow Times. The two sides also discussed Russian assistance in modernizing North Korea’s pharmaceutical industry, including the production of modern antibiotics and the construction of new medical facilities.
According to The Moscow Times, Russia’s healthcare system has been facing a persistent staffing shortage. Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said last year that the country lacks more than 23,000 doctors and over 63,000 mid-level medical workers.
The case comes as medical cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has been expanding. Last year the Russian Embassy in North Korea said Russia had begun accepting North Korean doctors for training at leading medical centers in Moscow.
The two countries also agreed on Russian assistance in modernizing North Korea’s pharmaceutical industry, particularly in the production of modern antibiotics, as well as plans to build new medical facilities in North Korea.
In late 2023, the North Korean pharmaceutical producer Pugang Pharmaceutical Factory opened a representative office in Russia, after which supplements from North Korea began appearing on Russian online marketplaces.
Earlier, it was reported that Russian troops fighting in Ukraine are reportedly receiving medical kits produced as far back as 1977, according to the pro-Russian Telegram channel Kursy takticheskoy meditsiny, which shared photos showing boxes filled with Soviet-era bandages, cotton, and dressing materials manufactured nearly fifty years ago.
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