Report: North Koreans Exploited in Russian Forced Labor Scheme Under Guise of Student Visas

An international law foundation has revealed a sophisticated network recruiting North Koreans into forced labor in Russia, utilizing fraudulent student enrollments to circumvent United Nations sanctions and labor laws. This operation, detailed in a report by Global Rights Compliance, allegedly functions as a state-sponsored work program that contributes to funding Pyongyang’s ballistic missile development.

The labor-brokering platform KNDR.su, operated by Russian businessman Vladimir Sokolov, actively markets North Korean workers to Russian employers across sectors including agriculture, construction, industry, and IT. According to the Netherlands-based nonprofit, the platform charges a commission ranging from 100,000 to 150,000 roubles ($1,240-$1,860) per placement.

Investigators from Global Rights Compliance, posing as potential employers, were told by Ruslan Zhukov, Sokolov’s operations director, that North Korean workers were enrolled in colleges they did not attend specifically “to avoid the application of labour law.” The report further states that Zhukov indicated these workers were compelled to work 12-hour days, six days a week.

This practice directly contravenes a 2017 UN Security Council resolution that prohibits UN member states from hosting North Korean workers, a measure intended to cut off funds for Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and missile programs. Despite these sanctions, an estimated 35,600 to 101,280 North Korean workers were employed abroad in 2025, generating between $450 million and $800 million for North Korea, according to a sanctions enforcement monitoring team.

Russia notably granted over 36,000 visas to North Koreans in 2025, a significant fourfold increase from the previous year, with the vast majority designated for educational purposes. The KNDR.su platform's marketing materials, which advertise North Korean workers for various industries, were also highlighted.

Global Rights Compliance also noted that the network appears to support Russia’s military activities in Ukraine, as Sokolov has promoted work sites connected to Moscow’s military-industrial complex. While Sokolov and Zhukov did not respond to requests for comment, a statement attributed to Zhukov reportedly denied the allegations, characterizing them as “false, fabricated, and categorically rejected in their entirety.” The statement referred to the individuals as “students of a specialised college, sent to Russia within the framework of an intergovernmental agreement on the exchange of experience and the provision of venues for educational and industrial practical training.”

Lara Strangways, head of business and human rights at Global Rights Compliance, emphasized that the broker network signifies deepening ties between North Korea and Russia. “North Korean workers are being sent to Russian factories through a network that serves both states at once: Their labour props up Russian industry, including sites linked to the war in Ukraine, while the revenue they generate helps fund North Korea’s military programme,” Strangways stated. She added, “What we are seeing is a clear exploitation of these workers as part of a cross-border system. If governments are serious about responding to this deepening alliance, they need to understand the role that forced labour is playing in sustaining it.”

Cooperation between North Korea and Russia has intensified in recent years, particularly as Russia faced international isolation following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The two nations ratified a mutual defence treaty in 2024, and North Korea has reportedly sent thousands of soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.