North Korea has dramatically increased the number of North Korean workers crossing into China this summer. According to a source who spoke with Daily NK, roughly 10,000 laborers entered since mid-June. Furthermore, contracts already cover more than 50,000 additional workers scheduled to follow.
These workers travel by bus from Sinuiju across the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge into Dandong daily. Typically, between 500 and 600 people cross each day within large coordinated convoys. Sometimes, as many as 10 buses carrying 50 passengers each cross together simultaneously.
Notably, Chinese local governments now directly manage paperwork and approvals for these worker groups. Previously, dispatch relied primarily on contracts negotiated between North Korean and Chinese companies alone. Now, however, companies must secure advance government approval before any workers can cross.
This shift suggests local Chinese officials actively oversee the current wave of entries. Meanwhile, Beijing’s central government appears aware but avoids direct involvement in daily logistics. Most North Korean workers enter under industrial trainee status, despite performing standard factory labor.
That classification has raised concerns since it may circumvent United Nations sanctions restrictions. Resolution 2397, adopted in 2017, required repatriating North Korean workers earning income abroad. However, repatriations stalled after North Korea sealed its borders during the pandemic in 2020.
Additionally, China seems eager to avoid publicity surrounding these large-scale worker movements. Most crossings occur around 5 a.m., minimizing visibility and reducing potential international scrutiny significantly.
Looking ahead, roughly 20,000 more North Korean workers should enter China before September begins. According to Oh Gyeong-seob of the Korea Institute for National Unification, mutual interests drive this surge. North Korea needs foreign currency, while northeastern China faces worsening manufacturing labor shortages.
Oh also noted that Xi Jinping’s recent Pyongyang visit strengthened economic cooperation between both nations. Therefore, the flow of North Korean workers into China will likely keep expanding ahead.
