North Koreans tell BBC they are being sent to work 'like slaves' in Russia

The BBC has discovered that thousands of North Koreans are being sent to Russia to work in extremely harsh conditions, similar to slavery. Russia is facing a big shortage of workers because many of its men are fighting in the war with Ukraine, have died, or have left the country. To solve this problem, Russia is bringing in North Korean laborers. These workers are forced to work on construction sites, building high-rise apartments and other projects, often for more than 18 hours a day. They only get two days off each year and are constantly watched by North Korean security agents who make sure they do not talk to anyone or try to escape.

The living conditions for these workers are terrible. They sleep in overcrowded shipping containers or on the floors of unfinished buildings, with little protection from the cold and bugs. Safety equipment is rare, and some workers have been seriously injured but are not allowed to leave the site to get medical help. Most of the money they earn is sent directly to the North Korean government as 'loyalty fees,' and the workers only receive a small amount when they return home. Many of them hoped to escape poverty and help their families, but they end up working much harder and earning much less than other foreign workers in Russia. Some North Korean workers have described their situation as being like a prison without bars, and they are often called 'slaves' by others.

A few workers have managed to escape by using forbidden smartphones and saving small amounts of money. They have traveled long distances to reach South Korea, where they can live freely. However, the North Korean authorities are making it harder for workers to escape by increasing surveillance and forcing them to attend more loyalty meetings. The number of North Koreans escaping to South Korea has dropped in recent years. Experts believe that the partnership between North Korea's Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin will lead to even more North Korean workers being sent to Russia, and that this situation will continue even after the war in Ukraine ends. The use of North Korean laborers is seen as a way for both countries to benefit, but it comes at a great cost to the workers themselves.