North Korean overseas labor is expanding as authorities implement stricter screening and tighter surveillance. Meanwhile, the regime seeks foreign currency, and China pursues cheap, skilled labor. As a result, officials now enforce rigorous selection processes, examining the skills, health, and loyalty of all applicants.
Moreover, background checks now cover eight relatives or coworkers, up from five previously. Workers must undergo intense ideological training, sign confidentiality agreements, and pledge loyalty to the regime. Consequently, authorities impose harsher consequences for infractions, with penalties lasting three to five years.
In addition, surveillance measures have increased. Workers receive repeated training on electronic monitoring and social media restrictions. Furthermore, North Korean managers, often former military or security personnel, supervise laborers overseas. Authorities also reward workers who report violations, creating a self-policing system that maximizes compliance and fear.
Chinese companies welcome North Korean laborers, especially in seafood processing and textile factories. Likewise, Chinese provincial governments see these workers as cost-effective and reliable. However, dispatching North Koreans violates U.N. Security Council Resolution 2397. Therefore, both countries disguise workers as students or trainees to avoid censure.
At the same time, workers’ rights remain severely restricted. North Korean authorities control wages and deduct a large portion for the state. In fact, workers cannot negotiate pay or complain about conditions. For example, a seafood plant employee revealed that the state takes 80% of the wages, leaving laborers with only 300 to 500 yuan per month. Meanwhile, fear of forced repatriation prevents complaints.
Experts warn that these labor dispatches represent structural forced labor. In particular, Kim Mi-ju, a researcher at Seoul’s Ewha Institute of Unification Studies, said the North Korea overseas labor boosts loyalty to the regime and generates foreign currency. She added that as relations with China improve, the number of overseas workers will rise, increasing surveillance and indoctrination.
Furthermore, human rights violations could worsen if North Korea continues expanding overseas labor. Consequently, international observers stress strict enforcement of U.N. sanctions. They also call for diplomatic pressure, inspections of supply chains, and protection for victim workers, while emphasizing the importance of collecting evidence to hold violators accountable.
Overall, North Korea’s overseas labor reflects both economic necessity and political control. The state prioritizes revenue over workers’ welfare, while China benefits from cheap, obedient labor. Therefore, analysts warn that without international intervention, abuses will continue and possibly intensify.
