Report Alleges North Korean Workers Recruited into Forced Labour in Russia

Investigation Findings on Labour Brokering

According to a report released on Thursday by the Netherlands-based nonprofit Global Rights Compliance, North Korean workers are reportedly being recruited into forced labour in Russia via a broker network using bogus student enrolments. The months-long investigation alleges that the network uses student visas to bypass United Nations sanctions and domestic labour laws, forming part of a state-sponsored programme.

The platform, KNDR.su, is reportedly operated by Russian businessman Vladimir Sokolov and markets workers to Russian employers across agriculture, construction, industry, and IT. The nonprofit states that the platform charges placement commissions between 100,000 and 150,000 roubles ($1,240 to $1,860).

Investigators posing as prospective employers reportedly spoke with Ruslan Zhukov, Sokolov’s operations director. Zhukov allegedly stated that the workers were enrolled in colleges they did not attend to evade labour laws and were required to work 12-hour days, six days a week.

Sanctions and Official Context

A 2017 UN Security Council resolution prohibits member states from hosting North Korean workers to cut off funding for Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. However, a sanctions monitoring team estimated that between 35,600 and 101,280 North Korean workers remained based overseas in 2025, generating significant revenue for Pyongyang.

Data indicates that Russia issued more than 36,000 visas to North Koreans in 2025—a fourfold increase from the prior year—with almost all officially designated for educational purposes.

Global Rights Compliance also reported that the network supported Russia's military-industrial complex by linking workers to sites connected to the war in Ukraine.

Responses and Verification

Sokolov and Zhukov did not respond to direct requests for comment sent via holding company Black Horse and KNDR.su. However, Global Rights Compliance noted that Zhukov previously denied the allegations, characterizing them in a statement as "false, fabricated, and categorically rejected in their entirety."

Zhukov's attributed statement maintained that the individuals are exclusively students from a specialized college participating in an intergovernmental agreement for educational and industrial training.

Lara Strangways, head of business and human rights at the law foundation, stated that the network highlights deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, noting that the revenue helps fund North Korea's military ambitions while supporting Russian industry.

Readers can verify original statements and monitor international sanctions compliance reports through official United Nations channels and documentation published directly by Global Rights Compliance.