Global News Podcast North Korean workers subjected to 'slave-like' conditions in Russia
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Aug 12, 2025 Explore the harsh realities of labor exploitation as North Korean workers face slave-like conditions in Russia, driven by the demand for labor post-Ukraine invasion. Personal accounts reveal their struggles and the grim flow of earnings back to the North Korean regime. Additionally, discover the surprising jellyfish invasion impacting a French nuclear power plant and the unrest in Baluchistan, juxtaposed with China's youth unemployment crisis. Finally, a nostalgic revival of postcard sending emerges amidst our digital age.
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Escape From A Labor Camp
- Tae described arriving excited but finding a 'labor camp, a prison without bars'.
- He said waking each morning terrified of repeating 18-hour workdays and paralyzed hands from exhaustion.
Sanctions Circumvented, Labour Flows Return
- UN sanctions banned North Korean labour exports in 2019 but flows to Russia have resumed heavily.
- South Korean intelligence says 10,000 arrived in 2024 and estimates may reach 50,000.
Mutually Useful But Exploitative Deal
- Russia faces an unprecedented migrant labour shortage after heavy troop losses in Ukraine.
- Andrei Lankov says Russia gains cheap disciplined labour while North Korea profits financially.