Inside North Koreans' brutal lives in Russia with 22hour days and 'brainwashing'

Two North Korean men who escaped from Russia have revealed the brutal conditions faced by thousands of Kim Jong-un's men sent to work in Vladimir Putin's industries
North Koreans sent to slave away in Vladimir Putin's country endure 22-hour days of backbreaking work completed with "brainwashing sessions" as a reward.
Two North Koreans who fled Russia have revealed the secretive lives of the men Kim Jong-un dispatched to his fellow dictator Putin to toil in the timber and construction industries. These workers have been subjected to impossible quotas and brutal "loyalty payments", which would strip them of their earnings and send their money back to dictator Kim. These harrowing revelations come after Russian security chief Sergei Shoigu announced that Kim Jong-un was sending thousands of workers to help rebuild the Kursk region.
‌
‌
One North Korean employed in construction in Irkutsk Oblast, in Siberia, described how despite working potentially dangerous manual jobs with no safety equipment, these men faced being sent back to North Korea at their own expense. He said one of his compatriots who lost a toe on the job begged not to be sent home.
Mr Park, who is using an alias, said: "Apart from wearing worn-out hard hats provided by the Russian side, there was no safety education or equipment. There were no nets or harnesses for working at heights, and falls from tall buildings were frequent.
"One colleague fell from the third floor and broke his arm. He had to be hospitalised for two months, after which he was forcibly repatriated to North Korea – and he had to cover all the costs himself. That's why many workers chose to keep working, even at great risk."
He added: "Another colleague injured his leg with a grinder – his big toe was severed, and his ankle was badly wounded. Still, he begged the supervisor to let him continue working with his leg wrapped in bandages."
The defector added that the workloads and harsh quotas led to them being hit with inhumane working hours. Although the official work day was 7am until 5pm, with an hour for lunch, there was no clocking off until the work was done.
‌
This meant falling behind on their unrealistic quotas could turn their 10 hour work day into a 22 hour one. Mr Park said falling short was its own punishment, adding: "You could only go home after meeting your quota. To meet the quotas, we were sometimes forced to work from 7am to 5am the next day – 22 hours straight. Even skilled workers would only finish by around 7pm. That was the punishment: brutal overwork."
Workers who reached their quota on time were rewarded with brainwashing sessions. Another North Korean sent to Irkutsk Oblast, this time working in the timber industry, said they were subject to "ideological education" after work.
Mr Moon, who is also using an alias, said: "The working conditions were just as harsh as in North Korea. There was constant pressure to meet quotas, and senior managers frequently yelled at us and issued orders in a threatening manner. On days we met our quota, we had ideological education and could rest afterwards. If not, we had to do overtime work.
‌
"On good days, I could sleep for about seven hours, but sometimes, I had to go back to work after sleeping only one or two hours. The physical toll is self-explanatory. Especially when I first arrived from North Korea, I was malnourished and felt like my body was breaking apart every day, always covered in bruises."
Both of these men said they left North Korea to escape poverty but earning money was also impossible in Russia. Mr Moon said: "Each worker was required to send about $1,000 per month to North Korea as a 'loyalty remittance'. But in reality, most of us earned only $600 to 800 – and that was only if we met our quotas every day.
‌
"So we ended up earning nothing and just paying the remittance until we returned home. Some workers even collected discarded clothing left by Russians to bring back."
For Mr Park, who travelled to Russia later, the cost was heavier still, saying: "From the moment we were dispatched, we were in debt. All travel-related expenses – flights, trains, visa fees – had to be paid by us. On top of that, we were required to pay the party $1,500 per month."
But horrific as their experiences were, they agree it was better than being in North Korea. Mr Park said: "No matter how difficult life was as a North Korean worker in Russia, it couldn't compare to life in North Korea. In the North, you can work yourself to death and still only afford a bottle of alcohol or a loaf of bread.
"In Russia, at least you could turn on a light at night or access water at any time. Life felt much freer there." South Korean intelligence officials estimate as many as 15,000 North Koreans are working in Russia.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Scottish Sun

6 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Russia hands its own dead soldiers to Ukraine in sick move during body swap as Vlad's best pal frees prisoners for Trump

Some of the dead bodies even carried Russian passports SICK VLAD Russia hands its own dead soldiers to Ukraine in sick move during body swap as Vlad's best pal frees prisoners for Trump Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RUSSIA handed over 20 bodies it claimed were Ukrainian defenders - but they were actually its own dead troops, says Zelensky. It comes as Russian ally Belarus freed its top jailed opposition leader and other political prisoners - after Trump's envoy met the ex-Soviet state's iron-fisted leader. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 20 'Ukrainian' bodies recently handed over by Russia have in fact been Russian, says Zelensky Credit: EPA 7 Some of the bodies even have Russian passports on them Credit: x/Volodymyr Zelenskyy 7 Russian prisoners of war on a bus in Belarus Credit: Getty Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed Russia's grim body-swap blunder on Saturday, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda. He said: "They (Russia) told us these were only Ukrainians and only service members. "But that's a lie, now documented. In some cases, these bodies even have Russian passports on them. "They can't even check who they're sending. We certainly want all of our warriors and the bodies of our heroes back. "But we definitely do not want Russians being handed over simply for the sake of quantity." Russia and Ukraine exchanged at least 1,200 prisoners of war over a week ago after the second round of direct talks in Istanbul. Meanwhile, Sergei Tikhanovsky, a prominent Belarusian opposition leader, was freed from jail along with 13 other political prisoners on Saturday. His release came after US special envoy Keith Kellogg met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the country's capital, Minsk. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya - Tikhanovsky's wife and also a Belarusian opposition politician - publicly thanked Donald Trump, Kellogg and "all European allies" for securing her husband's release. Lukashenko's press secretary said the prisoners were freed at Trump's request. Vladimir Putin rages 'all of Ukraine is ours' as he threatens to seize key city while Kyiv slams tyrant as 'deranged' Tikhanovskaya wrote on X: "My husband … is free! It's hard to describe the joy in my heart." She added: "We're not done. 1150 political prisoners remain behind bars. All must be released." Five Belarusian nationals, along with Japanese, Polish and Swedish citizens, were also released, according to Tikhanovskaya's office. The Lithuanian foreign minister said on X that the 14 political prisoners were receiving care in Lithuania. Tikhanovsky was jailed for 18 years in 2021. 7 The moment Russian strikes shatter residential buildings in Kharkiv, injuring 13 including two children on June 5 Credit: East2West 7 Ukrainian soldiers fire a Grad multiple rocket launcher towards Russian positions in Donetsk on June 3 Credit: AP 7 Russian soldiers fire drones in Lyman on April 24 Credit: Getty His wife ran in his place and claimed victory - but fled into exile with their kids the day after. Many Belarusians believe the 2020 election was rigged by Lukashenko's regime to keep him in power - a position he's held since 1994. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have fled their homeland since the brutal crackdown on opposition protests in 2020. Belarus has faced heavy Western sanctions for its brutal crackdown and backing Russia's war - including allowing Russian troops to use its land and hosting tactical nukes. Tens of thousands have been arrested in Belarus for political reasons over the past five years, says rights group Viasna. It comes as Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko signed a security agreement in December, finalising the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear arms in Belarus. The signing followed an amendment in Russia's nuclear doctrine, which for the first time placed Belarus under the Russian nuclear umbrella. It effectively gives Lukashenko control over the potential use of Russian tactical nuclear weapons deployed to Belarus in response to aggression. Putin said in a televised remark: "I'm sure that the treaty will ensure the security of Russia and Belarus." After the two leaders signed the pact, Lukashenko asked Putin to deploy the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that Russia used for the first time last month against Ukraine.

Scottish Sun

6 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Scots traitor who lost eye fighting for Putin now pals with paedo US turncoat

The twisted pair enjoyed a meeting in their adopted homeland THE TRAITOR & THE PAEDO Scots traitor who lost eye fighting for Putin now pals with paedo US turncoat Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SCOTS traitor who lost an eye fighting for Russia is now pals with a US fugitive wanted on paedo photos charges, we can reveal. Ross McElvenny, 26 — pictured for the first time with a patch — shook hands with disgraced American Air Force defector Wilmer Puello-Mota, 28. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Disgraced American Air Force defector Wilmer Puello-Mota Credit: AP 2 Ross McElvenny lost an eye fighting for Vladimir Putin in Ukraine The twisted pair, who signed up for Vladimir Putin's army after its bloody invasion of Ukraine, enjoyed a meeting in their adopted homeland. Next to the sickening social media snap, McElvenny gushed: 'I finally managed to meet Will Puello.' The half-blinded mercenary, from Newton Mearns, near Glasgow, is now a Russian citizen. And he has been travelling the country since leaving hospital after getting surgery on his left eye. Selfies he posted show him in the capital Moscow and also visiting Mamayev Kurgan, a huge memorial commemorating the savage Second World War Battle of Stalingrad, now called Volgograd. McElvenny, who also sustained serious shrapnel injuries after being shelled by Ukrainian forces, had previously shrugged off his plight, saying: 'St happens in conflict.' And the Kremlin squaddie, whose call sign is 'Whisky', insisted he had 'zero regrets'. The Rangers fan added: 'I came here to do what I could to support Russia. I love this country.' We told how McElvenny was hurt in a blast before being fitted with a 'fake eyeball inside what remained of my left eye'. He first hit the headlines last November after it emerged he had been injured while serving in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Scottish brewer fighting as mercenary for Putin in Russia Previously, he had studied IT at a college in Glasgow after attending Falkland House, a residential school for boys in Fife. We revealed he once had a work experience stint as a schoolboy with the Scottish Government at offices in Atlantic Quay, Glasgow. It was in a placement tailored for pupils with additional support needs. McElvenny told The Scottish Sun on Sunday: 'It was a s**y programme by a school I should have never been in the first place — so they could get some publicity.' He travelled to Russia on a tourist visa last August, then volunteered for Putin's 1099th Motorised Rifle Regiment. The renegade Scot is being probed by cops here and faces prosecution if he returns. We told in December how McElvenny had boasted of becoming 'a citizen of the Russian Federation' after a short ceremony. He called it: 'One of the happiest moments of my life.' His new chum Puello-Mota was in the US Air Force and Massachusetts International Guard before fleeing the sex rap and landing in Russia. The ex-city councillor in Holyoke, Massachusetts, was arrested in nearby Rhode Island in 2020 after cops found explicit images of an underage girl on his phone. He reportedly told officers he thought she was 22, and only later learned she was 17. Puello-Mota was later charged with forgery, counterfeiting and obstructing justice after claiming the seedy snaps were fake. He vanished in January last year, just two days before he was scheduled to answer the charges in a Rhode Island court. US authorities said he boarded a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul before disappearing. It is understood the fugitive, who used the call-sign 'Boston', has been fighting as a volunteer mercenary alongside Russian troops in the war with Ukraine. In April last year, footage from propaganda channels showed him signing a military contract. They have spun Puello-Mota's defection as a coup for the Moscow regime.

Daily Mirror

9 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

Vladimir Putin given stark 'on the verge' warning by top minister

Russia's economy could be 'on the verge' of a recession, according to one of the top officials in Vladimir Putin's Kremlin - Russia's economy remains on a war footing Vladimir Putin received a stark warning from one of his own ministers as Russia's economy remains on a war footing. The Russian Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said that Russia 's economy is 'on the verge' of transitioning to a recession. 'We have a cooling stage,' Reshetnikov said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, calling the numbers bedding his comments like looking at a 'rearview mirror'. He said: 'According to current business perceptions, we are already, it seems, on the verge of a transition to a recession.' ‌ ‌ Reshetnikov said that a recession was not inevitable and would depend on decisions taken by the Kremlin. Putin, in a speech at the forum, mentioned the recession warnings but emphasised that 'it mustn't be allowed'. Putin said Russia has managed to curb inflation and ease its reliance on energy exports. He pointed out that manufacturing industries have posted steady growth, allowing the country to reduce its reliance on oil and gas exports. 'The perception of Russian economy as based on raw materials and dependent on hydrocarbons exports have clearly become outdated,' Putin said, adding that the economy grew by 1.5 percent in the first four months of 2025 and inflation has dropped from double digits to 9.6 percent. Putin has used the annual forum to highlight Russia's economic prowess and encourage foreign investment, but Western executives have shunned it after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, leaving it to business leaders from Asia, Africa and Latin America. The economy, hit with a slew of Western sanctions, has so far outperformed predictions. High defence spending has propelled growth and kept unemployment low despite fuelling inflation. Large recruiting bonuses for military enlistees and death benefits for those killed in Ukraine also have put more income into the country's poorer regions. But over the long term, inflation and a lack of foreign investments pose threats to the economy. ‌ Economists have warned of mounting pressure on the economy and the likelihood it would stagnate due to lack of investment in sectors other than the military. Putin said the growth of military industries helped develop new technologies that have become available to the civilian sector. He vowed to continue military modernisation, relying on lessons learned during the fighting in Ukraine. 'We will raise the capability of the Russian armed forces, modernize military infrastructure and equip the troops with cutting-edge equipment,' Putin said. But Russian Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina said that the factors that had helped Russia with sustained growth could no longer be relied upon. On June 19, The Moscow Times said that Nabiullina said Russia had been growing on the back of 'free resources'. This includes its bank reserves, liquid assets in the country's wealth fund, industry and labour. Such resources are now reaching their limit, Nabiullina said. 'We grew for two years at a fairly high pace because free resources were activated," she said. "We need to understand that many of those resources have truly been exhausted."