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The latest investigation shows that North Korean workers are sent through agencies to factories across Russia to work long hours. Most of their salaries go to the Pyongyang regime and may finance North Korea’s military plans and cooperation with Russia and North Korea.
The Financial Times reported on the 29th that a latest investigation revealed thatnorth korea workers are being sentRussia Factory jobs in agricultural and manufacturing hubs across the country underscore the deepening economic partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang.
The report released by Global Rights Compliance (GRC), an international legal foundation headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, cited Russian corporate and procurement records, online advertising archives and photos and videos on social media, and used geolocation and metadata to verify the authenticity of the images and documents.
The GRC exposed an intermediary network run by Moscow businessman Vladimir Sokolov. Sokolov and two companies were listed as targets of EU sanctions in October over commercial and industrial cooperation with Pyongyang, including a joint investment project.
The website KNDR.su claims to be affiliated with the “Black Horse Group” run by Sokolov. According to website archives, the website advertises for employers to hire North Korean labor teams of 50 to 100 people, claiming they work 12 hours a day, 28 days a month, and “don’t be late, don’t miss work, don’t drink, and don’t fight.” However, they should be kept separate from other nationalities. The website also assures employers that workers will not run away, on the grounds that the North Korean embassy controls their documents and that they will face “severe consequences” if they return if they violate the contract.
There is a comment left by a suspicious subscriber of KNDR.su on the Russian portal Yandex, which is full of praise for North Korean workers: “It turns out that their production and labor productivity are very high. I also want to emphasize that their discipline is impeccable. Thank you!”
Based on social media videos and an undercover investigation, the GRC found that North Korean workers were manufacturing pet food at food manufacturer KPP Raskon in Ramenskoye, near Moscow. The GRC also cited procurement records and reported that an agricultural company awarded a US$133,800 contract to “Pyongyang LLC” and entrusted the provision of 50 North Korean workers. The company is run by Ruslan Zhukov, whom the GRC identified as the operations director of the intermediary network.
Sokolov said Pyongyang Co. Ltd. is part of Dark Horse Group. The Dark Horse Group’s website states that Sokolov studied at Harvard University and was commended by the military for his assistance to Russian troops; The group supplies machinery and equipment for orders from the Russian Defense Ministry, sells industrial machinery, and exports agricultural products to North Korea.
The GRC noted that the labor pipeline also generates revenue for Pyongyang and violates United Nations sanctions banning the use of North Korean labor abroad. Lara Strangways, director of the GRC’s corporate and human rights department, said the survey shows that Labor is helping to deepen ties between Russia and North Korea. “North Korean workers support Russian industry, including war-related facilities in Ukraine, and the revenue generated helps finance North Korea’s military programs.”
Dark Horse, Sokolov and Zhukov did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Zhukov published a statement in Sokolov’s news media in September, stating that Pyongyang Co., Ltd. strictly adhered to Russian laws and had neither organized the recruitment of foreign workers nor acted as an employment agency for North Koreans.
The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, made up of 11 countries, estimated in September that Russia had 15,000 to 30,000 North Korean workers by the end of 2025. NK News chief correspondent Shreyas Reddy said North Korean workers typically receive only about 10% to 25% of their wages, and the rest goes to North Korean private enterprises and the Pyongyang regime.
However, Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert at Kookmin University in Seoul, said job opportunities abroad are quite popular and salaries are relatively good. The quality of life of foreign workers is “much better than their actual standard of living in North Korea.”
Summary FAQ
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The report pointed out that relevant websites recruit North Korean workers in groups of 50 to 100 people, claiming they work 12 hours a day, 28 days a month, and must live separately from workers of other nationalities. Working and management conditions are quite strict.
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The GRC found that Moscow businessman Sokolov and his related companies, as well as Pyongyang Co. Ltd., run by Zhukov, formed an intermediary network to arrange North Korean workers for Russian employers, and some have been sanctioned by the EU.
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The survey believes that these workers provide manpower for Russian industries and also bring foreign exchange earnings to North Korea; While workers may only receive a maximum of 10% to 25% of their wages, and the remainder goes to state-owned enterprises and the regime, possibly supporting military plans.
