Did North Korea Sanctions 'Work' Even on Soldiers?...Mass Defection of Russian North Korean Workers

"Nine North Korean Workers Dispatched to Russia Enter South Korea"
Concerns Over Deployment to Donbas Amid Russia-Ukraine War
Sanctions on North Korea Lead to Looser Surveillance to Conceal Identities

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] It has been claimed that nine North Korean workers sent to Russia for foreign currency earnings entered South Korea at the end of last year. It appears that they attempted a mass escape due to concerns about being forced to go to the war zones in Russia and Ukraine. This 'mass defection' is particularly noteworthy because it involved escaping military personnel by breaking through the loosened surveillance network that was intended to evade international sanctions against North Korea.

A North Korea insider familiar with local circumstances told Asia Economy on the 25th, "Around December last year, nine North Korean workers who were in Russia entered South Korea," adding, "They are currently receiving education at Hanawon."

According to the source, all of them are male, ranging in age from their 20s to 50s. Most were laborers working at logging sites, and two are reported to be soldiers serving their mandatory military service. Some had been in contact with domestic civilian organizations since 2021 to express their intention to defect, but it is known that these nine did not plan the escape together.

"Afraid of being dragged to the battlefield"...Mass escape of workers dispatched to Russia

North Korean workers dispatched to overseas construction sites [Image source=Yonhap News]

This mass defection appears to have been influenced by the Russia-Ukraine war. Since concerns grew that they might be sent to war reconstruction projects, news of many North Korean workers attempting to escape has been reported since last fall. At that time, Radio Free Asia (RFA) and the British Daily Mail reported, citing anonymous sources, that even managerial-level personnel were fleeing in large numbers.

The region where North Korean workers were likely dispatched is Donbas, the frontline of the war, which encompasses the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. This area was taken over by pro-Russian forces who declared the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). Due to severe war damage, there is a high demand for reconstruction and a desperate need for cheap labor.

In fact, after approving the DPR and LPR in the Donbas region in July last year, North Korea has been negotiating to involve its workers in the republics' reconstruction projects. Rodion Miroshnik, the LPR ambassador to Russia, stated in mid-August last year, "I met with Shin Hong-chul, the North Korean ambassador to Russia, and discussed plans to deploy North Korean construction workers to reconstruction projects."

However, due to sanctions against North Korea, official overseas dispatch of North Korean workers is impossible. According to UN Security Council Resolution 2397 adopted in 2017, member states were required to repatriate all North Korean workers by December 2019. Although Russia reportedly sent about 30,000 North Korean workers back to their home country, many workers are still believed to be staying by hiding their status as students or other identities.

Loosened surveillance to evade sanctions...Even soldiers defect

North Korean Workers in Russia
Photo by Kang Dong-wan, Professor at Dong-A University

However, it is said that these sanctions have ironically made defection easier. According to sources, North Korean workers dispatched to Russia for 'foreign currency earnings' are largely divided into two groups. Those who live in group dormitories, including soldiers, mainly work at large construction sites. Since dozens live and eat together, surveillance and control are strict, and going out is difficult, making it hard to access outside information.

When they become skilled workers in their 40s to 50s, they are dispatched at the company level. To meet the bribes that company heads must pay to authorities, they form groups of two or three and are assigned to apartment and house remodeling work called 'remont' in Russian. These small groups of workers move relatively freely, and some are reported to access information about South Korea through smartphones.

It is known that North Korean authorities, trying to hide the identities of dispatched workers due to sanctions, have created some loopholes in the surveillance network.

Meanwhile, in the fourth quarter of last year, 25 defectors entered South Korea, including 18 men and 7 women. Authorities have stated that they cannot confirm the nine North Korean workers reportedly entering the country. A Ministry of Unification official said, "We cannot confirm related matters for personal protection reasons," and the National Intelligence Service also stated, "It is difficult to confirm anything regarding defectors."