"Thousands of Young North Korean Women Dispatched to Chinese Factories This Year"

Most Are Young Women, Yomiuri Shimbun Reports
Dispatched to Garment and Seafood Processing Factories

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on June 27 that China has newly accepted thousands of North Korean workers this year.

Yonhap News

According to sources familiar with North Korea-China relations, about 3,000 North Korean workers entered Hunchun in Jilin Province by March of this year, and around 500 arrived in Dandong, Liaoning Province, last month. Most of these workers are young women who have been dispatched to local garment factories or seafood processing plants.

The newspaper stated, "The acceptance of North Korean workers is prohibited by United Nations Security Council resolutions and appears to be a violation of sanctions," adding, "There is a possibility that the Xi Jinping administration is seeking to rebuild relations with North Korea while securing cheap labor."

It has also been reported that discussions to accept North Korean workers are underway not only in northeastern China but also in other regions. In this regard, one source said, "It is impossible for local governments in China to independently accept North Korean workers."

The UN Security Council, in order to block North Korea's foreign currency earnings, adopted sanctions resolutions that prohibit UN member states from granting work permits to North Korean workers and require the repatriation of North Korean workers.

It is also known that Chinese authorities have repeatedly requested the dispatch of North Korean workers after border restrictions due to COVID-19 were lifted.