Rights group exposes North Korea's forced labour scheme that reaps US$500 million annually

The report details the ‘brutal’ conditions North Korean workers endure in Russia that reveal a pattern of ‘control, coercion and abuse’

It also warned that workers are trapped in “brutal” conditions where they are subjected to “control, abuse and coercion”.

Containing first-hand testimonies of North Koreans exploited in the programme, the report published on Wednesday by Global Rights Compliance – an international human rights foundation – noted that the scheme had sent more than 100,000 workers across 40 countries.

A central pillar of North Korea’s strategy, the programme generates US$500 million annually for the state. Workers are hired across multiple sectors including sewing, construction, medicine, information technology and food service.

According to the report, North Korean labourers working on construction sites in Russia are forced to work up to 16 hours per day, sometimes working 364 days in a year and receiving only US$10 a month after deductions. They also live in unheated, overcrowded “containers” infested with cockroaches, and are allowed to shower only once or twice a year.

Those employed directly by companies were found to live in “containers” on the construction site, making escape nearly impossible.