North Korea begins sending workers to Russia, Yonhap
North Korea has started sending its workers to Russia (Photo: voakorea.com)
At the beginning of this month, around 300 individuals, likely North Korean workers, arrived in Russia by train, reports Yonhap.
Citing a Russian source, senior researcher at the state-funded Korean Institute for National Unification, Cho Han-bom, reported that around 300 individuals, likely North Korean workers, arrived in Russia by train on February 5th.
"They were seen carrying packages, but in light of their outfits, they were identified as workers at a glance, not as tourists," Cho said.
He dismissed the possibility that they were students studying abroad or diplomatic mission officials.
Sanctions violation against North Korea
He said they appear to belong to the first group of North Korean workers that Pyongyang is likely to continue sending to Russia.
If confirmed, this move would violate UN Security Council resolutions prohibiting the sending of North Korean workers abroad.
All UN member states were obligated to repatriate all North Koreans earning income in their jurisdiction by the end of 2019 in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2397 adopted in 2017.
Intelligence reports
South Korea's National Intelligence Service declined to confirm the arrival of hundreds of North Korean workers in Russia.
"We are monitoring situations related to North Korea's dispatch of its workers to Russia," the statement said.
North Korea assisting Russia with missiles
In December last year, White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby stated that Russia purchased ballistic missiles from North Korea. They were already used for strikes against Ukraine.
In early January, there was information that occupiers struck Kharkiv with North Korean missiles. Later, the prosecutor's office confirmed this and provided details.
Vadym Skybytskyi, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine that North Korea actively supplied ammunition to Russia throughout the fall. According to intelligence estimates, the Russian army could have received about a million shells from North Korea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken about red lines when commenting on the supply of North Korean missiles to Russia.
