North Korean workers exploited in Russian war factories, rights group says

Global Rights Compliance has raised fresh concerns about North Korean labour being mobilised for Russia's war effort, alleging that workers are deployed to Russian industrial facilities under poor working conditions. The organisation contends that the arrangement breaches United Nations sanctions prohibitions on North Korean workers abroad. The workers are reportedly involved in manufacturing items destined for use in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, according to the rights group's findings. The deployment represents a deepening of economic ties between Pyongyang and Moscow as Russia faces mounting manpower pressures and international isolation. The allegations add to growing evidence of North Korean-Russian cooperation, which has previously included reports of military support and arms transfers to bolster Russian operations in Ukraine. Such arrangements typically involve significant profit margins for North Korean state entities while workers receive minimal wages and endure restricted freedoms, human rights monitors have documented in past cases of North Korean overseas labour schemes.