Russia Also Begins Repatriation of North Korean Workers... "In Exchange for Arms Deals"

Professor Kang Dong-wan, an Expert on Overseas North Korean Defectors
Obtains Video from Russian Local Airport Filmed on the 30th
"100 North Korean Workers Each... Regular Repatriation Twice a Week"
"North Korea-Russia Arms Trade Payment... New Dispatch Expected"

Following the Chinese government's forced repatriation of over 500 North Korean defectors, Russian authorities have also begun actively sending North Korean workers residing locally back to their home country. Inside and outside the government, there is speculation that the replacement of workers who could not return during North Korea's border closure period with new personnel is linked to North Korea-Russia arms deals. From a humanitarian perspective, concerns are raised as North Korean residents lose opportunities to defect.

According to a video obtained by Asia Economy on the 31st through Professor Kang Dong-wan of Dong-A University, a group of North Korean workers waiting to check in was spotted at Vladivostok International Airport in Russia the previous morning. The electronic board displaying flight information showed "Pyongyang," indicating a flight bound for Pyongyang. Professor Kang estimated the number of workers at the airport to be around 100 and stated, "These are workers dispatched to Vladivostok and the Primorsky Krai area (not ordinary civilians), and it appears that those left behind locally after the border closure have begun to be repatriated."

On the 30th (local time), about 100 North Korean workers are seen waiting for ticketing at Vladivostok International Airport in Russia. The electronic board displaying flight information shows "Pyongyang," indicating the destination to Pyongyang.
[Photo by Kang Dong-wan, Professor at Dong-A University]

Based on information from multiple sources familiar with the local situation, he explained, "From the 30th until March 29 of next year, a limited regular flight schedule has been announced for Air Koryo JS271, operating twice a week between Vladivostok and Pyongyang." This means workers are being repatriated regularly every Monday and Friday for four months. Assuming 100 workers are sent each time, the number of dispatched workers awaiting repatriation is estimated to be around 4,000. However, it has not been confirmed whether new personnel boarded flights from Pyongyang to Russia.

The fact that these workers have remained in Russia until now itself constitutes a violation of sanctions against North Korea. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has imposed a complete ban on the overseas dispatch of North Korean workers to cut off North Korea's foreign currency earnings. Accordingly, all workers were supposed to return home by December 2019, but North Korea's border closure starting January 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic left them stranded locally. It is known that North Korea has continued dispatching workers disguised under "student visas" to fund nuclear development even after sanctions were imposed.

"Labor Provided as Payment for Arms Deals"...Concerns Over Forced Repatriation

Last September, North Korean State Chairman Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for the first time in four years at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast, Russia.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Authorities assess that this repatriation operation is a follow-up measure to the North Korea-Russia summit. Following the summit between Chairman Kim Jong-un and President Vladimir Putin in September, it is presumed that an agreement on arms deals was reached. It is speculated that North Korea will provide labor for post-war reconstruction along with conventional weapons in exchange for military technology and food support from Russia.

A government official said, "Due to the prolonged war in Ukraine, Russia is significantly short of labor for reconstruction sites," adding, "It is highly likely that after repatriating existing North Korean workers, Russia will accept new dispatches." The official further noted, "This could be a measure linked to the 'arms deal,' a form of compensation for North Korea receiving support from Russia in various fields during Kim Jong-un's visit to Russia."

On the 30th (local time), about 100 North Korean workers were seen waiting to get their tickets at Vladivostok International Airport in Russia. The electronic board displaying flight information showed "Pyongyang," indicating the flight to Pyongyang.
[Photo by Kang Dong-wan, Professor at Dong-A University]

Outwardly, this appears to be a simple repatriation of dispatched workers returning home, but there is a possibility that forced repatriation subjects are included. North Korea is known to have detained defectors attempting to escape during the border closure period within its local embassy. A source said, "Since the war in Ukraine, the attitude of Russian authorities has noticeably become more cooperative with North Korea," adding, "Defectors are immediately arrested upon detection and handed over to North Korean jurisdiction."

Lee Young-hwan, former head of the Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), diagnosed, "The difference between China's and Russia's repatriation is that China continues to push defectors within its territory back to North Korea, whereas Russia, in line with strengthened North Korea-Russia cooperation, is likely to maintain or even increase the scale of worker dispatches." He expressed concern, saying, "Among those repatriated, there may be residents who attempted to defect and were arrested or are subject to punishment."