North Koreans previously employed in Russia wait for their airplane home at Vladivostok International Airport in Vladivostok, Russia, 20 December 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/YONHAP

Pyongyang has rapidly increased the flow of migrant workers to Russia, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Monday, citing South Korean intelligence sources.

Though the exact time period covered remains unclear, the South Korean intelligence figure of 15,000 migrant workers is supported by official Russian statistics which showed that the country had admitted 12 times more North Korean migrant workers in 2024 than in the previous year.

Most North Koreans entered Russia on student visas, the WSJ said, with 8,600 student visas issued to North Korean nationals last year alone.

The majority of North Korean workers, meanwhile, are currently based in Russia’s Far East, though they are expected to soon start taking up jobs in major Russian cities, including Moscow, the WSJ continued.

The arrangement is considered highly advantageous for Russian authorities and businesses, with North Korean workers willing to work 12-hour shifts for low wages and unlikely to complain about conditions. Moreover, they help fill the country’s growing labour shortages, which have only worsened due to the war in Ukraine.

The United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions in 2019 under which employing North Korean workers abroad is prohibited. Last June, however, amid warming relations between Moscow and Pyongyang, Vladimir Putin told state media: “These are our neighbors. We will develop our relations whether people like it or not.”

Last month, Reuters reported that about 600 North Korean troops had been killed fighting for Russia against Ukraine, citing South Korean intelligence. In addition to weapons and ammunition, North Korea is believed to have sent in excess of 12,000 soldiers to help Russia fight its war.