Cross-posted from: https://feddit.de/post/8815415
An estimated 100,000 North Koreans are posted abroad, mostly in factories and construction sites in north-east China, operated by the North Korean government, where they earn valuable foreign currency for the sanctions-hit regime. It is estimated they earned Pyongyang $740m (£586m) between 2017 and 2023.
Most of their earnings are transferred directly to the state.
It’s the same deal with Russia too, specifically forestry industries.
North Koreans Trapped in ‘State-Sponsored Slavery’ in Russia (April 2023)