**Thousands of North Koreans in Russia for Jobs**
Thousands of North Koreans entered Russia in 2024 to work on construction sites. This was reported by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency on February 9.
The move is a surprise, as it seems to violate United Nations Security Council resolutions passed after North Korea‘s intercontinental ballistic missile tests. The resolutions prohibit North Korea from sending its citizens to work overseas.
According to data, 13,221 North Koreans entered Russia in 2024, which is up 12 times from the previous year. Almost 8,000 of them claimed to be entering for educational purposes.
**Labor Shortage**
Russia has a severe labor shortage due to its invasion of Ukraine and military mobilization. The country is also facing a drastic population decline over the next two decades.
The arrival of North Korean workers may mark “the beginning of larger influxes” that could help Russia’s labor shortage issues, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War wrote on February 9.
**Military Cooperation**
North Korea and Russia have deepened their military cooperation in 2024. A mutual defense pact was signed between the leaders of both countries in June.
Up to 12,000 North Korean troops were deployed in Russia’s Kursk Oblast last fall to support Russian troops in countering a Ukrainian incursion in the region.
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