Up to 100,000 N.K. workers sent abroad, some involved in Russian drone production: report

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SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has sent around 100,000 workers abroad, mostly to China and Russia, with some involved in manufacturing military drones at Russian factories in violation of U.N. sanctions, an international monitoring report showed Wednesday.

The latest report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) showed that North Korea continues to deploy workers overseas despite a U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution requiring U.N. member countries to repatriate North Korean nationals earning income within their jurisdictions by the end of 2019.

The MSMT was established in October 2024 to monitor and report on the implementation of U.N. sanctions against North Korea, as the UNSC's 1718 Committee Panel of Experts was disbanded in April that year following Russia's veto of a resolution to extend its mandate.

The team comprises Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Britain and the United States.

This illustration depicts U.N. sanctions against North Korea and its overseas labor program. (Yonhap)

According to the report, an estimated 35,600-101,280 North Korean workers remain deployed overseas, with nearly all of them located in China and Russia.

"Despite the 2019 repatriation deadline mandated by UNSCR 2397, at least 17 countries are suspected of continuing to host labourers, generating between US$450 million and $800 million in 2025 to fund the DPRK's unlawful nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs," the report said.

Russia had an estimated 15,000-30,000 North Korean workers as of the end of 2025. Some of them were involved in manufacturing military drones at factories in Russia, while the Russian government has created a student visa scheme to disguise North Korean workers as students, it said.

Each North Korean worker in Russia generates an estimated average of $7,500 in wages annually, with monthly wages potentially up to five times higher than those earned by North Korean workers in China, depending on the industry.

China is estimated to host between 20,000 and 70,000 North Korean workers. Though an estimated 10,000-20,000 workers were temporarily repatriated between 2023 and 2025, around 10,000 new North Korean workers arrived in China between January 2025 and January 2026, according to the report.

North Korea's General Federation of Trade Unions and Russia's Federation of Independent Trade Unions sign a memorandum of understanding on friendship and cooperation in Pyongyang on April 14, 2026, in this file photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

The MSMT estimates that North Korean workers overseas generated between $450 million and $800 million in 2025. It said nearly all of their wages are confiscated by the North Korean regime, with an estimated 80-90 percent of their earnings taken by Pyongyang.

In some cases, the amount confiscated exceeds their actual earnings, leaving them indebted to the government.

North Korean authorities also exercise strict control over workers' movements and interactions with outsiders to prevent defections. Workers who defect face the risk of reprisals against family members remaining in North Korea, according to the report.

"We encourage all UN Member States to raise awareness and hold responsible parties and facilitators accountable for UNSCR violations, including through domestic action," the MSMT said.

"Considering the continued violations and evasions of relevant UNSCRs, we urge the UN Security Council to reestablish the Panel of Experts in the same strength and structure it had prior to its disbandment," it added.

The team also vowed to continue to monitor the implementation of U.N. sanctions related to North Korea and expose ongoing attempts by Pyongyang and others to violate or evade the measures.

This file photo shows workers believed to be North Koreans boarding buses in a group near a customs office in Dandong, in China's Liaoning Province, on Dec. 19, 2019. (Yonhap)

graceoh@yna.co.kr (END)

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Up to 100,000 N.K. workers sent abroad, some involved in Russian drone production: report

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首尔，9月16日（韩联社）——一份国际监测报告周三显示，朝鲜已向国外派遣约10万名工人，其中大部分前往中国和俄罗斯，部分工人在俄罗斯工厂参与制造军用无人机，违反了联合国制裁。

多边制裁监测小组（MSMT）的最新报告显示，尽管联合国安理会决议要求联合国成员国在 2019 年底前遣返在其管辖范围内赚取收入的朝鲜国民，但朝鲜仍在继续向海外派遣劳工。

联合国安理会第 1718 号委员会专家小组于 2024 年 10 月成立，负责监督和报告联合国对朝鲜制裁的执行情况。此前，由于俄罗斯否决了延长其任务期限的决议，该委员会于同年 4 月解散。

该队由澳大利亚、加拿大、法国、德国、意大利、日本、荷兰、新西兰、韩国、英国和美国组成。

这幅插图描绘了联合国对朝鲜及其海外劳工计划的制裁。（韩联社）

报告显示，估计有 35600 至 101280 名朝鲜工人仍在海外工作，几乎全部位于中国和俄罗斯。

报告称：“尽管联合国安理会第2397号决议规定2019年是遣返朝鲜劳工的最后期限，但至少有17个国家被怀疑继续接收朝鲜劳工，到2025年将产生4.5亿至8亿美元的收入，用于资助朝鲜的非法核武器和弹道导弹计划。”

报告称，截至2025年底，俄罗斯估计有15000至30000名朝鲜工人。其中一些人在俄罗斯的工厂参与制造军用无人机，而俄罗斯政府则制定了一项学生签证计划，将朝鲜工人伪装成学生。

据估计，在俄罗斯工作的朝鲜工人平均每年可创造 7500 美元的工资，而根据行业不同，他们的月工资可能比在中国工作的朝鲜工人高出五倍。

据估计，中国境内有2万至7万名朝鲜劳工。报告显示，虽然2023年至2025年间约有1万至2万名劳工被暂时遣返，但2025年1月至2026年1月期间，又有约1万名新的朝鲜劳工抵达中国。

2026年4月14日，朝鲜总工​​会和俄罗斯独立工会联合会在平壤签署友好合作谅解备忘录。这张资料照片由朝鲜官方通讯社朝中社于次日发布。（仅限韩国境内使用，禁止转载）（韩联社）

朝鲜劳动者管理部估计，到2025年，朝鲜海外劳工的收入将在4.5亿美元至8亿美元之间。该部​​门表示，他们几乎所有的工资都被朝鲜政权没收，据估计，平壤方面拿走了他们收入的80%至90%。

在某些情况下，没收的金额超过了他们的实际收入，使他们欠政府债务。

报告指出，朝鲜当局对工人的行动和与外界的接触实行严格控制，以防止叛逃。叛逃的工人还面临着留在朝鲜的家人遭到报复的风险。

“我们鼓励所有联合国会员国提高认识，并追究违反联合国安理会决议的责任方和促成者的责任，包括通过国内行动，”部长级会议表示。

“鉴于有关联合国安理会决议持续遭到违反和规避，我们敦促联合国安理会恢复专家小组在解散前的实力和结构，”声明补充道。

该团队还誓言将继续监督联合国对朝鲜制裁的执行情况，并揭露平壤和其他国家违反或规避这些措施的持续企图。

这张资料照片显示，2019年12月19日，在中国辽宁省丹东市海关附近，一群据信是朝鲜籍的工人正在登上巴士。（韩联社）

graceoh@yna.co.kr (完)

（韩联社专访）欧盟官员警告称，朝鲜与俄罗斯的“结构性”联系可能在乌克兰战争结束后继续存在。

（导语）美国官员称，朝鲜去年可能窃取了超过20亿美元的加密货币。

朝鲜谴责多边监督联合国制裁

据报道，朝鲜窃取了约28.4亿美元的虚拟资产。

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首尔将举办首届中亚峰会，讨论关键矿产和供应链合作等议题。

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据报道，多达10万名朝鲜工人被派往国外，其中一些人参与了俄罗斯无人机的生产。